Geoff Thompson will step down as non-executive chairman of Utilitywise at the company’s next annual general meeting.
He has served on the board for more than 11 years, having first established the business in 2006. Thompson became executive chairman in October 2016, when Brendan Flattery took over as chief executive.
In April this year, Thompson moved into the role of non-executive chairman and will be succeeded by Simon Waugh, who joined Utilitywise in November 2016 as senior independent director.
Waugh said: “On behalf of the board and everyone at Utilitywise, I would like to thank Geoff for all that has been achieved under his stewardship. Having founded the company a little over a decade ago, he built a significant business which now employs around 1,500 colleagues across multiple markets both in the UK and internationally.
“I look forward very much to taking on the role of chairman, working closely with Brendan and his team as, building on Geoff’s legacy, the business evolves in 2018 and beyond.”
Waugh has held several senior roles throughout his career, including serving on Centrica’s executive committee as sales and marketing director for seven years.
He was also the chief executive of Centrica Financial Services in the early part of his tenure, before later becoming deputy managing director, British Gas.
Kathie Child-Villiers, who was appointed as a non-executive director in February 2017, will replace Waugh as senior independent director. She has had an extensive career as a corporate finance advisor to the energy sector in the UK, Europe and the US, including eight years as managing director for the resources and energy group at HSBC global banking.
The company reshuffle also saw Jeremy Middleton step down from the board on 13 December, having served as non-executive director since 2013.
Utilitywise recently claimed the non-domestic water retail market in England is still not “truly open”,suggesting that only 1 per cent of businesses have switched supplier.
Responding to figures released by Market Operator Services Limited (MOSL) in October, the utility consultancy firm suggested it would take until 2039 for all businesses in England to switch water supplier.