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Dipesh J Shah OBE
Non-Executive Chair
Biography
- Appointed Non-Executive Chair September 2020
- Chairman of Investment Committees for the 2020 European Fund for Energy, Climate Change and Infrastructure, and for Marguerite II Fund. Non-Executive Board Director at Canaccord Genuity Group Inc., Trustee of British Youth Opera and Governor at Merchant Taylors’ School
- Career in both public and private sectors. Formerly CEO of the UK Atomic Energy Authority and of large businesses in BP. A former Chairman of, among others, a FTSE-listed power utility, the European industry association for solar, a housing association and a private equity fund for renewables. Also served on the Boards of Babcock International Group Plc, Lloyd’s of London, The Crown Estate, and Thames Water. A former member of the Government’s Renewable Energy Advisory Committee
- Graduate of the Universities of London and Warwick, and the Harvard Business School management programme
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Nick Harris
Acting Chief Executive
Biography
- Appointed February 2021, previously Executive Director, Operations from September 2016
- Career includes senior operational roles in water utilities across the UK and overseas.
- Qualifications include CEng (Chartered Engineer), MICE (Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers)
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Vanessa Howlison
Chief Financial Officer
Biography
- Appointed Chief Financial Officer June 2016
- Career includes a number of finance director roles in government departments, including Department for Transport, Department of Energy and Climate Change, and Ofsted
- Previous finance roles in the NHS, the Audit Commission
- Currently an independent member of the Audit and Risk Committee at the regulator Ofwat, and a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Institute Council
- CIPFA membership
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Carolyn Battersby
Non-Executive Director
Biography
- The Department for Transport appointed Shareholder Representative from February 2019
- Executive Director at UK Government Investments (the government’s centre of excellence in corporate finance and governance), which she joined in 2011
- Career in corporate finance and strategy, with roles at Tesco, The Prince’s Trust, Schroders and Permira
- Qualifications include an MChem (Master of Chemistry) degree
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Roger Lowe
Non-Executive Director
Biography
- Re-appointed Senior Non-Executive Director February 2019, having previously been the Department for Transport appointed Non-Executive Shareholder Representative from July 2016
- Currently a partner with Capstar Advisers. From May 2010 to February 2019, Roger was a director at UK Government Investments
- Career in corporate finance, specialising in acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures and restructurings, with roles in industry, including Group Director of Corporate Finance at TI Group plc; and Investment Banking at Lazard, including two years on secondment to Lazard Frères in New York
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Kathryn Cearns OBE
Non-Executive Director
Biography
Chair, Audit and Risk Committee
- Appointed Non-Executive Director April 2018
- Member of Department for Transport’s Group Audit and Risk Committee, Chair of the Office of Tax Simplification, Member of the International Monetary Fund External Audit Committee, and a non-executive board member and Audit Committee member at Companies House
- Previous chair roles at the Financial Reporting Advisory Board, HM Treasury and the ICAEW Financial Reporting Committee
- Non-Executive Board member at Companies House, Non-Executive Director at Crossrail and Non-Executive Board member of the UK Supreme Court. Trustee for Royal British Legion Industries and The Royal Mencap Society
- Financial Conduct Authority and Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants membership
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Alan Cumming
Non-Executive Director
Biography
Chair, Safety Committee
- Appointed Non-Executive Director September 2017
- Director of Nuclear Operations at the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), and appointed the NDA-nominated Non-Executive Director at Sellafield Ltd in April 2018
- Career within engineering and energy with roles at Viridor, EDF and British Energy
- Qualifications include CEng, MIStructE (Chartered Structural Engineer) and an MBA
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Janette Beinart
Non-Executive Director
Biography
Chair, Investment Committee
- Appointed Non-Executive Director January 2019
- Career in Information Technology having had a long international career working for Shell culminating as Global Upstream Chief Information Officer
- Further experienced in the savings and investment business as interim Group Chief Information Officer for M&G Prudential
- Qualifications include a BA (Econ) degree
Our board
Meet our executive and non-executive directors