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Questions remain over the future of the executive chair of SSE Energy Services, Katie Bickerstaffe, following the announcement of the agreed sale to Ovo this morning (13 September).
Bickerstaffe was announced as chief executive designate for the company which was to be formed following the successful merger of SSE’s retail arm and Npower.
This deal fell through last December and Bickerstaffe was appointed executive chair of SSE Energy Servcies in May this year. 
Bickerstaffe was tasked with continuing to progress towards a listing or new, alternative ownership by the second half of 2020.
Both Ovo and SSE say they cannot yet comment on the future of Bickerstaffe and her team, which includes chief financial officer Gordon Boyd.
An Ovo spokesperson told Utility Week: “We are only in the first step of this potential transaction, which is still subject to regulatory approvals, so we can’t make any commitments on a future team structure.
“In the meantime, individuals and teams will continue to work as usual and nothing will change for the time being.”
Meanwhile an SSE spokesperson said: “The respective leadership teams of Ovo and SSE will be working together in the coming weeks and months to plan for the integration and ensure a smooth transition for customers and employees.
“Meetings are being set up with the recognised trade unions and employee forums to engage with them in the weeks and months ahead.”
The new deal, which will see all 8,000 employees at SSE Energy Services transferred to Ovo, is expected to complete later this year or early 2020 and is subject to regulatory approval, including from the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. A long-stop date has been set for 31 May 2020.
The two sides said a transitional services agreement would be put in place for a period following completion, with SSE providing certain services to Ovo.
The headline value of the deal, which was flagged up last month, comprises £400 million in cash and £100 million in loan notes.
SSE said the net cash proceeds of the transaction would be used to reduce its net debt.
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