Meet the Board

Date of appointment

• Chair since April 2021;
  non-Executive Director since September 2020

Prior experience

• Over 24 years at BP including Chief Executive, Refining & Marketing and Chief Executive,
  Gas & Power
• President and CEO, Talisman Energy Inc.
• Chief Executive of the UK Civil Service and Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office

Key skills relevant to SSE

• A dynamic and engaging leader with diverse perspectives from multiple sectors, organisational settings and geographies.
• An extensive business career spanning global commodity markets and large energy infrastructure, providing insight into complex operating environments and project delivery.
• Knowledge of energy regulation, politics and public policy informed by energy sector and senior UK Government roles.
• Experience of stakeholder management with a collaborative and transparent approach to engagement.
• An advocate for succession and leadership development, emphasising people capability,
  diversity, culture, and long-term organisational success.
  

Date of appointment

• Chief Executive since July 2025; Executive Director since September 2017

Prior experience

• Chief Commercial Officer at SSE, appointed in November 2020
• Group Energy and Commercial Director at SSE, appointed
  in 2017
• Group Executive Committee member at SSE, appointed in 2014
• Managing Director, Energy Portfolio Management at SSE, appointed in 2012
• Senior commercial leadership roles within SSE since joining in 1998

Key skills relevant to SSE

• Proven focus on strategic execution and commercial growth through value enhancing opportunities across SSE’s businesses.
• Expert knowledge of complex energy markets and SSE’s asset base, enabling governance and risk management.
• Successfully led end-to-end delivery of large infrastructure projects, including through joint ventures.
• Experience of leading constructive stakeholder engagement to understand key priorities, including the role of sustainability initiatives to create long-term value.
• Leadership skills to manage change and drive company culture to support delivery of SSE’s purpose and strategy.
• Leads SSE’s Group Executive Committee, SSE’s Business Units and the Group functions of: Corporate Affairs, Regulation and Strategy; Sustainability; HR; and Procurement.

Date of appointment

• Chief Financial Officer since December 2023

Prior experience

• Finance Director, SSE Renewables, appointed in April 2019
• Director of Treasury and Corporate Finance at SSE, appointed in January 2013

Key skills relevant to SSE

• Skilled in developing and implementing financial strategy including the approach to funding and assessing the optimal capital structure for SSE, which enabled him to oversee SSE’s equity placing in November 2025.
• Long-standing energy sector knowledge, enabling a disciplined approach to capital allocation and project investment.
• Active understanding of shareholder views, capital markets, and the approach to investor relations.
• Experience of internal controls, risk management and the role of assurance and audit in supporting SSE’s regulatory requirements.
• Expertise in treasury operations, liquidity management and debt issuance.
• Leads SSE’s Finance, and Tax and Treasury teams, and the Group functions of: Risk and Audit; IT and Cyber Security; General Counsel and Company Secretarial; and Investor Relations.

Date of appointment

• Senior Independent Director since July 2025; non-Executive Director since January 2025

Prior experience

• Non-Executive Director, Anglo American plc
• Chair, Sasol Ltd
• Senior Independent Director, Vivo Energy plc
• Senior leadership roles at Unilever South Africa

Key skills relevant to SSE

• A strong sense of corporate governance and leadership, drawn from board-level experience across multiple continents within the energy, chemicals, industrial and consumer sectors.
• Experience of risk management, including the importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations to drive sustainable growth and ethical business practices.
• Insight into the role of stakeholder perspectives within the work of the Board.
• Supports fostering diverse and inclusive leadership teams to enhance organisational culture.
  

Letters of appointment

Letter of appointment - October 2024

Date of appointment

• Non-Executive Director since September 2021

Prior experience

• Lord Advocate of Scotland
• Solicitor General for Scotland

Key skills relevant to SSE

• Possesses a governance background from the public sector, which has involved legal leadership positions and oversight of independent public inquiries, bringing broad legal perspectives to the Board.
• Experience of working with government and within regulatory and socio-political environments.
• Strong ambassadorial skills from international work in judicial, governmental, diplomatic and academic fields, enhancing SSE’s stakeholder relationships.
• An advocate for the employee voice and organisational culture, which strengthens Board awareness of employee sentiment and views.
  

Date of appointment

• Non-Executive Director since May 2018

Prior experience

• CEO & Chair, E.ON UK plc
• Senior leadership roles across corporate strategy, global energy trading and operational oversight from over 20 years at E.ON SE and Powergen

Key skills relevant to SSE

• Extensive CEO and management experience across renewables, thermal generation, commodity portfolio management, and energy trading.
• Technical and operational acumen spanning the energy system.
• Understanding of commodity risk management and the approach to trading governance and controls.
• Strong UK and European energy industry experience with expertise in utilities regulation, trends relevant to SSE’s operations, and innovation and industrial strategy.
  

Letters of appointment:

• Letter of appointment - March 2018
• Letter of appointment - July 2019
• Letter of re-appointment - April 2021
• Letter of re-appointment - March 2024

Date of appointment

• Non-Executive Director since June 2022
  

Prior experience

• Finance Director, Associated British Foods plc

Key skills relevant to SSE

• Recent and relevant financial experience, with a proven track record of developing financial and commercial strategy including M&A, corporate transactions and large capital projects.
• Understanding of operational, financial and regulatory considerations across different jurisdictions, through global business leadership experience.
• Sound judgement surrounding sustainability strategy, with practical knowledge of ESG reporting and investor expectations.
• Experience of listed-Board responsibilities applying strong governance, financial stewardship and risk awareness.
  

Letters of appointment

Letter of appointment - June 2022

Letter of reappointment - June 2025

Date of appointment

• Non-Executive Director since September 2021

Prior experience

• CEO, TSB Bank plc
• Chief Operating Officer & Executive Director, Clydesdale Bank
• Member, FCA Practitioner Panel
  

Key skills relevant to SSE

• Experience of operating within highly regulated environments, with capabilities across risk management, internal controls, digital and cyber security contributing to Board oversight of these areas.
• Understanding of optimising capital allocation and the approach to investment appraisal.
• A leader with awareness of organisational responsibilities to employees and society.
• Skilled in leading transformation, with a focus on improving efficiency, strengthening delivery and enabling effective operations.
  

Date of appointment

• Non-Executive Director since January 2019

Prior experience

• CEO, NEC Group
• CEO, Ocado Retail
• Strategy Director, Marks & Spencer plc
• Global Strategy and Marketing Director, Bupa
• Chief Operating Officer, TalkTalk Telecom Group plc

Key skills relevant to SSE

• Strong track record in digital and commercial transformation leadership spanning retail, consumer services, logistics and technology, shaped by experiences in a variety of senior roles.
• Expertise in strategic planning and execution, having overseen significant portfolio investment decisions to help position businesses for sustainable growth.
• Customer insight informed by experience across diverse consumer sectors including energy, retail and insurance.
• A people-centric leadership style, with wide-ranging global experience and a strong appreciation of company culture.
  

Date of appointment

• Non-Executive Director since May 2020

Prior experience

• 38-year career at BP; member of Executive Management team, Group Chief Scientist and Head of Downstream Technology
• Senior leadership roles across R&D, engineering, digital and renewables at BP

Key skills relevant to SSE  

• Chartered Engineer and expert in technology, science and engineering within the broader energy and manufacturing industries.
• Led and collaborated on large-scale and complex projects, internationally and in culturally diverse environments.
• Strong corporate social responsibility experience through involvement in climate science research and sustainability initiatives, spanning safety, the energy transition, inclusion and diversity, ethics and supply chain responsibility.
• Recognised contributor to advisory bodies, helping to shape scientific and technological advancement through fellowships of the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the UK Energy Institute as well as being a long-standing advocate for women in STEM.

Date of appointment

• Non-Executive Director since September 2023
  

Prior experience

• 29-year international energy career
• Senior leadership roles across 26 years at Shell, including: Director of Integrated Gas, Renewables and Energy solutions; Executive Vice President for Integrated Gas; and Executive Vice President Finance, Upstream International
  

Key skills relevant to SSE

• Global energy industry expertise, with senior leadership experience across four continents, operating in
  multi-country environments and markets.
• Strong grounding in renewables, low-carbon fuels, and green hydrogen value chains, and strategic experience in energy transition business models.
• Knowledge of commodity markets, particularly related
  to liquefied natural gas, having held senior commercial and financial roles across trading and integrated gas.
• Listed company experience including capital markets and investor relations, as well as leadership of major capital investment programmes with long-term strategic goals.
  

Letters of appointment

Letter of appointment - March 2023