The chief financial officer of a North East water retailer has been appointed to the national board of a new strategic panel for the industry.
James Cleave of the Everflow Group, which is based in Stockton and comprises business water retailer Everflow Water, and utilities software provider Everflow Tech, was nominated for the role.
The panel, managed and governed by MOSL, the market operator for the non-household retail market in England, will become the most senior industry-led group in the country.
Following a competitive selection and interview process, James joined a select group of four senior industry leaders from retailers and wholesalers, three independent representatives and a customer representative on the panel.
He said: “I’m really excited about the opportunity to help shape the future of the non-household market. I’ve seen both the challenges that the market has faced, but also the huge opportunities available, and I’m looking forward to taking on the role.
“The non-household market has been open for over four years now, and in that time Everflow has been successful in improving outcomes for customers. This is against a backdrop of the market struggling to do the same due to various challenges, including the pandemic but also because of the inherent complexity of the market, which results in poor customer experience and challenges for other stakeholders.
“We’re passionate as a business about making things as simple as possible for customers, not just for Everflow but for the entire market, and so when the opportunity arose to apply for the panel, I felt it was a perfect opportunity to help move the market towards one which works better for everyone.
“We’re at a tipping point in terms of moving forward from the pandemic, but also the environmental challenges we all face, and so I see the panel’s creation as an opportunity to deliver meaningful change in the face of these situations.”
The strategic panel will be responsible for developing the strategic priorities for the non-household water market, working with stakeholders to deliver better outcomes for business customers, offer strategic direction and recommend improvements.
The Everflow Group was set up by chief executive Josh Gill in 2015 and since then has become the fastest-growing water retailer in the UK, as well winning a host of awards including being named third in the FT1000, the Financial Times’ 2020 list of Europe’s top 1,000 growing businesses.
For more information, visit www.everflowwater.co.uk