Cadent has appointed United Utilities’ chief operating officer Steve Fraser as its new chief executive.
He will take up the post in the autumn.
Steve Hurrell, who has been acting as Cadent’s interim chief executive since Chris Train announced plans to retire in February, will return to his role as chief financial officer.
The gas distribution network was recently fined £24 million by Ofgem and ordered to create a £20 million community fund for failing to compensate thousands of customers after leaving them without gas supplies for more than 24 hours.
Cadent said Fraser brings a wealth of experience in “leading teams through change, managing and transforming infrastructure businesses”.
He will lead Cadent into RIIO2 as the company aims to “put the customer at the heart of everything it does”.
Fraser joined United Utilities in 2005 from Bethell Group, where he was operations director. Prior to his current position of chief operating officer, he was responsible for running United Utilities Energy and Contracting Services, a global utilities outsourcing and asset management business with a turnover of £750 million.
Train was appointed as Cadent chief executive in October 2016, when the company was still National Grid Gas Distribution.