David Sproul - Chair
David was appointed to the Board on 1 July 2024 and became Chair on 24 July 2024. David is a Chartered Accountant who has spent the majority of his career in professional services with Deloitte and prior to that Andersen serving a diverse range of UK and international clients. He concluded his executive career at Deloitte in summer 2021 as Global Deputy CEO having previously been elected for two terms as Senior partner and Chief Executive of Deloitte UK and North West Europe from 2011 to 2019. During his leadership the firm became the largest and most profitable professional services firm Globally and, in the UK, driven in part by significant investments in technology services, as well as differentiating itself as the Audit quality leader with a strong inclusive culture. Chair of Starling Bank Limited and non-executive director on Safanad Limited. David is also a senior adviser to Bridgepoint Europe and he sits on the Board of Governors as chair designate of University of Hertfordshire.
Susan Davy (BSc Hons, ACA) - Group Chief Executive Officer
Susan was appointed Group Chief Executive on 31 July 2020. She was appointed to the Board in February 2015 as Chief Finance Officer, having joined the Group as Finance Director of South West Water in 2007. Susan’s knowledge of the industry, coupled with her financial and regulatory expertise, has underpinned the development of Pennon’s strategy. This has included the value-creating acquisitions of Bournemouth Water, Bristol Water, SES Water and the Viridor disposal, all of which she has led. In her 25+ years’ experience in the utility sector, Susan has also held a number of other senior roles in the water sector, including at Yorkshire Water. Under her guidance South West Water has become the only water company to have achieved fast-track status for two consecutive business plans – the first in 2014, the second in 2019. Susan is highly respected in the City and has been instrumental in building Pennon’s reputation. Susan is a non-executive director and Audit Chair of Restore Plc. She is president of the IoW, holds a place on the board of Water UK, is a member of the Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership Council and was previously a member of the A4S (Accounting for Sustainability) CFO leadership network.
Laura Flowerdew - Group Finance Officer
Laura was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Pennon Group in July 2024. Laura was previously the Chief Customer and Digital Officer of Pennon Group between September 2022 and July 2024. She was also an executive director and Chief Financial Officer of Bristol Water plc from October 2018. Alongside her financial responsibilities her role also encompassed leading the company’s transformation programme, as well as IT, HR, business services and communications Laura continues to be a director of Pelican Business Services, a role she has held since 2019. Pelican provides billing and customer services across both Bristol Water and Wessex Water. Laura previously worked in a number of executive positions in utilities and natural resources business including Bristol Energy, Anglo American and De Beers. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales.
Jon Butterworth (MBE,MSc, Flod) – Independent Non-Executive Director
Jon was appointed to the Board on 28 September 2017. Jon was also appointed to the Pennon Group Board on 8 July 2020. Jon is the Chief Executive Officer of the UK Gas Business for National Grid Plc and a member of the National Grid Executive Committee. Jon has a distinguished track record and an immense depth of experience and knowledge within the utility sector, having begun his career over 44 years ago as an apprentice in British Gas. He has been the Managing Director of Northwest Gas, Global Environment and Sustainability Manager of Transco, National Operations Director of National Grid, Group Safety, Resilience and Environmental Director of National Grid Plc and formerly CEO of National Grid Ventures, building £3bn of growth in renewables across the USA and Europe. Jon’s utility background makes him keenly aware of the importance of maintaining a balance between performance and safety, and he constructively challenges the Board and management to constantly raise the bar in this area. Jon is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and is a Director of National Grid Gas, National Grid Metering Limited, E. Tapp & Co Limited, Shopfittings Manchester Limited and TMA Property Limited. He is also an ex-Chair of the CORGI Board, an ex-Ambassador of the HM Young Offenders Programme and a trustee of the National Gas Museum Trust.
Iain Evans (CBE, BSc Hons, FCA, MBA) – Independent Non-Executive Director
Iain was appointed to the Board on 31 July 2020. Iain has been a member of the Pennon Group Board since appointment on 1 September 2018. Iain has 40 years of extensive global experience in advising companies and governments on issues of complex corporate strategy. In 1983, he co-founded L.E.K. Consulting in London and built it into one of the world’s largest and most respected corporate strategy consulting firms with a global footprint active in a wide range of industries. Iain was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Welsh Water plc in 1989 and served on the board for nearly 10 years, including five years as chair. As chair of the ESG Committee, Iain is leading the development of a sustainability programme that underpins the delivery of our strategy. Iain is a non-executive director of Bologna Topco Limited and continues to act as an independent corporate strategy consultant.
Claire Ighodaro (CBE, BSc Hons, FCMA, DUniv (Hon)) – Independent Non-Executive Director
Claire was appointed to the Board on 31 July 2020. Claire has been a member of the Pennon Group Board since appointment on 1 September 2019. Claire has held a number of senior roles and directorships of UK and international organisations and has extensive board experience, serving on audit and governance committees. Claire is a past president of CIMA and was the first woman to lead this organisation. She spent most of her executive career with BT plc. She has also held non-executive directorships across a diverse portfolio including Governance Committee Chair of Bank of America’s Merill Lynch International, Audit Committee Chair of Lloyd’s of London, Flood Re, The Open University and various UK public bodies including UK Trade & Investment and the British Council. As Chair of the Remuneration Committee Claire continues to steer the company’s approach on executive remuneration, ensuring that it is aligned with and supports the strategy. Claire is non-executive Chair of the Board and the Governance Committee for Axa XL - UK entities and Non-Executive Chair of the Audit Board of KPMG LLP.
Dorothy Burwell – Independent Non-Executive Director
Dorothy was appointed to the Board on 1 December 2022. Dorothy is a Partner and Global Partnership Board Member of FGS Global. She has more than 20 years of experience in banking and communications, specialising in natural resources and advising clients on issues including sustainability, strategy, and corporate communications. She is well-known for driving substantive diversity and inclusion agendas. Between 2002 and 2006 Dorothy held analyst and senior roles at Goldman Sachs in the Investment Banking Division in both London and New York as well as in the Firmwide Strategy Group, where she focused on proprietary mergers and acquisitions, and new business development. Dorothy graduated the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, USA, with a Bachelor and Master of Business Administration, Finance and Management. Dorothy is a Non-Executive Director at consumer packaged goods group, Post Holdings, Inc. Dorothy is also a Trustee of the Consumers’ Association charity, Which?, the largest independent consumer rights organisation in the UK.