In this week’s bumper appointments round-up, Utility Week brings you news of changes at Bulb, Ovo and Yu Group as well as the Environment Agency, CCW and Energy UK.
Adam Young has been appointed as digital marketing and sales director of Yu Group to lead the company’s data transformation. Young will join Yu next month from safety equipment supplier Acro where he held leadership roles in the sales and marketing department. He replaces Simon Smith.
The Environment Agency has extended the terms of five non-executive directors and the deputy chair of its board effective from the end of September. The environment secretary, George Eustice, reappointed John Lelliott and Dame Caroline Mason for two years and Judith Batchelar and Robert Gould for three years.
The second terms of deputy chair Richard MacDonald and non-executive director Lynne Frostick have been extended for 12 months. The board comprises of ten members and a chair appointed by the secretary for state.
Kevin Hammond has joined Bulb from People’s Energy as interim head of regulation earlier this month. Hammond has worked in policy and regulation roles at EDF for more than a decade prior to People’s Energy.
Water watchdog CCW has appointed Nicola Brown to the newly created role of director of consumer relations. Brown joins from Npower where she spent six years working as head of customer contact following four years at British Gas.
In her new role, Brown will oversee the consumer relations team which handle more than 12,000 complaints and enquiries from water company customers each year. Emma Clancy, chief executive, said the watchdog was looking to learn best practice from the energy sector as CCW works to improve customer experiences across the sector.
Alison Jaap has joined Ovo Energy as its customer care director after five years at First Direct. Jaap was instrumental in simplifying First Direct’s digital services for customers as the bank’s head of change and, later, customer director. She has been vice president of the Institute of Customer Service since December 2020.
Dhara Vyas will be leaving Citizens Advice for Energy UK next month. Vyas joined the energy consumer watchdog 12 years ago where she headed up future energy.
Juliette Saunders will join Energy UK in the new year as director of strategic communications from Equinor where she was head of UK renewables communications.