Board members

Board members

In order to achieve this, the Board meets regularly to provide leadership, set strategic direction and objectives and ensure that appropriate financial and other resources are made available to enable the Company to meet those objectives. One meeting is set aside each year to enable the Board to focus on the strategic direction and objectives of the Company in particular. The Board oversees the work of the Audit and Compliance Committee in drawing up and maintaining a framework of controls that assess and manage risks to the business.

 

Non-executive directors

 

Alistair Buchanan, CBE

Alistair Buchanan has over 25 years’ experience in the energy industry, including 10 years as Chief Executive of Ofgem. In 2013 he joined KPMG as Partner and UK Chair of Power & Utilities, returning to the firm where he trained as a Chartered Accountant. During his career, Alistair became an award-winning energy sector analyst and head of research for banks in New York and London. With experience at Board level on various companies, he currently also serves as the Chair of the leading period orchestra “The Mozartists”.

 

Charles Langan

Charles Langan was appointed ScottishPower’s Chief Financial Officer in July 2024, responsible for providing strategic financial leadership of ScottishPower and day-to-day management of the Finance function.  Charles is also responsible for the IT, Security, Procurement and General Services functions.  Since joining ScottishPower in 2005, Charles has held several senior finance positions both in the UK and Spain.

Charles is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and has a degree in Accountancy and Finance from the University of Strathclyde.  Prior to joining ScottishPower, Charles worked at Ernst & Young.

 

David Mesonero

David Mesonero is currently the Global Head of Corporate Development and M&A of Iberdrola, S.A.  He is a member of the Board of Directors of Iberdrola Mexico, Iberdrola Energía Internacional, and its Audit Committee.  He is a member of the Finance Committee of Neoenergia and member of the Board of these societies: Windar Renewable and Wallbox.

Prior to his role in Iberdrola and David was CFO of PRISA Group, and CFO at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.  He has a background as a strategic consultant and investment banker and specializes in capital markets and in designing different financing structures.

 

Harold Hutchinson

Harold Hutchinson was born in Belfast and has degrees from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland (M.A. Hons. Economics/French), and University of Oxford (M.Phil. Economics). He spent his early career in academia as a lecturer in economics at St. Andrews University. He was subsequently a top-rated research analyst in the energy and utilities sectors for over 25 years at various investment banks, most recently at Investec Bank plc, where he was a Managing Director in the Listed Client Group and Head of UK Equity Research. Currently, he is a Senior Adviser in Alternative Energy at Investec Bank plc. In addition, he is a Trustee and Director at the Regulatory Policy Institute, Oxford, an educational charity dedicated to the promotion of regulatory and market research for the public benefit.

 

Keith Anderson

Keith Anderson is the Chief Executive Officer for ScottishPower and he also sits on the ScottishPower Board, where he was appointed in February 2012.   Keith has full responsibility for the ScottishPower’s activities in the UK including the £24bn investment plan to 2028 designed to strengthen the position of the company as the Utility of the Future.  Under the previous Government, Keith was a member of the Prime Minister’s Business Council and the UK Investment Council.  Prior to joining ScottishPower, Keith worked with some major financial institutions including The Royal Bank of Scotland and Standard Life, as well as working as a management consultant with Ernst & Young.

 

Masahide Yamada

Masahide Yamada is employed by the Kansai Electric Power Company Inc. which is an electric utility with its operational area of Kansai region, Japan. He is the General Manager for Asset Management, Americas and Europe Region, International Business Division. Masahide has 10 years’ experience in the field of power distribution, with more than 10 years’ experience in overseas investment in power assets including as a Finance Director of a hydropower project in the Republic of Indonesia, and some experience with Strategy, Planning and Budget Management.

 

Executive directors

 

Ian Smyth

Ian Smyth has been Group CEO of Electricity North West Limited since 2022. Prior to Electricity North West, Ian was a Director of UK Power Networks, a Managing Director of Navigant a global advisory and dispute resolution consultancy and the lead partner of the Utilities and Regulated Industries practice for LCP. He has been a consultant for Ernst & Young. Ian has worked internationally for governments, regulators and utilities across electricity, gas and water.  Ian has a BA(Hons) in philosophy, psychology and artificial intelligence from Manchester Metropolitan University and an MSc in Cognitive Science from the University of Birmingham.

 

Chris Johns

Chris Johns joined Electricity North West Limited as Group CFO (Chief Financial Officer) in May 2023.  Chris is a Chartered Accountant and has previously been CFO of Yorkshire Water, a role he held from June 2020. He has also previously held the roles of Finance Director of both Northumbrian Water Group and Northern Gas Networks.