South East Water has strengthened its Executive Team with two key appointments, bringing in Katy Ringsdore as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and Kerri Ricketts as Customer Services Director as firm accelerates plans to put customer voice and transparent engagement at the core of its operations.
Katy Ringsdore joins South East Water from Pennon Group, where she served as Group Director of External Communications across its water businesses, including South West Water, Bristol Water, Bournemouth Water, and SES Water.
A former broadcast journalist with over a decade of media experience, Katy brings extensive expertise in managing reputation, political scrutiny, and stakeholder engagement within high-profile, regulated environments.
In her new role, she will lead the company’s corporate affairs strategy, unifying communications, stakeholder engagement, and reputation management.
Working alongside her, moving from leading customer excellence at the UK's largest Rail Operator, Kerri Ricketts takes up the role of Customer Services Director, serving as the dedicated voice of the customer within the business.
Kerri will lead frontline customer operations, focusing on embedding customer insight into daily operations, improving service delivery, and ensuring customer experiences directly inform business strategy.
John Halsall, Chief Executive Officer of South East Water, said:
“Our customers and communities need to see a different South East Water - one that listens, communicates openly, and puts customer experience at the centre of everything we do.
“Katy and Kerri bring exceptional leadership to our Executive Team at a pivotal moment. Katy’s deep corporate affairs experience will ensure external insight shapes our strategic decisions, while Kerri will be a relentless customer champion ensuring their needs drive our day-to-day operations and are embedded across our transformation programme.
“We know trust will not be rebuilt through words alone; it requires better performance, operational transparency, and a relentless focus on service. Bringing Katy and Kerri into these executive roles is a vital step in delivering that change.”
The appointments come as South East Water continues a major transformation programme focused on improving operational performance, strengthening network resilience, and enhancing outcomes for customers across Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire.
Katy Ringsdore will formally take up her role on the Executive Team in September 2026, while Kerri Ricketts took up her role in July 2026.
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