Thames Water has named Kelly MacFarlane as its new managing director of customer service and retail. She succeeds Ian Cain, who is stepping down from the post.
MacFarlane was appointed chief customer officer at Thames Water at the turn of the year, coming from BT Openreach. She replaced Andrew Reaney, who left the company to return to Centrica.
MacFarlane is in the process of recruiting for her replacement as chief customer officer.
Commenting on her promotion, she said: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the retail service operations at Thames Water with a clear mandate and commitment to serve our customers well. I am passionate about service and customer outcomes and this is a great privilege and exciting opportunity to make a difference.”
Commenting on MacFarlane’s promotion, Thames Water chief executive Steve Robertson said: “I’m delighted that Kelly has agreed to step up to this important post. In the few months that Kelly has been with us she has impressed everyone with her energy, ability and absolute determination to ensure that all our customers get the best possible service.
“Our performance has been improving, with a significant reduction in complaints and bad debt, increased levels of customer satisfaction, and many more customers choosing to manage their accounts online, but we are still well behind the best in the industry.
“That is a gap we are determined to close and I am confident that Kelly is the right person to lead our customer-facing teams on that journey.”
He added: “I also want to take this opportunity to thank Ian Cain for all he has achieved over the last three and a half years, and for his strong contribution as a member of the executive team.
“Ian established the role of managing director for customer service and retail. He and his team have delivered significant improvements in customer satisfaction, laying foundations on which we will continue to build.”