On the move: MOSL, Gemserv, Aurora, SES

Our latest appointments round-up includes Steve Holliday joining Aurora Energy Research as its chair, SES Water welcoming its first chief information officer, and Gemserv and MOSL each announcing non-executive directors.

Former National Grid chief executive Steve Holliday has made an investment in Aurora Energy Research and joined the consultancy’s board as its chair. The company, led by executive director and chief executive John Feddersen, has also received investments from CGE Capital and 22C Capital.

Halliday said: “Aurora is well placed to capitalise on the mega trend of the electrification of energy. I am hugely excited to chair the company through its next stage of rapid growth and look forward to building on the great platform that the current board has established with John Feddersen and his team.”

Meanwhile, Gemserv has named Sue Sharland as non-executive director after Simon Wills completed a six-year term on the board. She brings non-executive experience from previous roles at the Connected Places Catapult and the engineering consultancy HR Wallingford.

Sharland is currently treasurer at the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation, non-executive chair for the environmental planning consultancy LUC and a trustee for the Road Safety Foundation and iRAP.

Meriel Lenfestey, chair of Gemserv, said: “Sue brings a wealth of senior corporate governance experience having served across public, private and not-for-profit organisations. She will play a key role in steering Gemserv to fulfil its purpose of making things that matter work better for everyone.”

The market operator for the water retail sector, MOSL, has appointed an independent non-executive director to its board after separating out its board and panel in August.

Hunada Nouss has previous experience in both public and private sector roles including at the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Communities and Local Government, Diageo and Burger King. She is currently on the board of the Met Office and chairs its Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.

MOSL chair, Anne Heal, said: “Hunada’s strategic, financial and commercial capability will be a welcome addition to the MOSL Board. Her experience in effecting organisational transformation in highly challenging situations, will be an asset to MOSL as we continue to transition out of Covid-19 and as we navigate the market through the current economic climate.”

Finally, SES Water has created a new role within its business to manage its growing technological needs and announced John Gilbert as the group’s first chief information officer.

Gilbert joins from National Grid where he was chief information officer for the past six years. He previously spent 19 years at Thompson Reuters in a variety of technology infrastructure operations and support roles.