Pennon Group has announced the appointment of Keith Haslett, currently the CEO of Affinity Water, as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director.
Keith Haslett has been the CEO of Affinity Water since January 2023 and is currently expected to join Pennon during 2026, following his notice period.
During his tenure at Affinity, he has delivered significant improvements in business performance and customer outcomes. Prior to Affinity, he held senior executive roles at Northumbrian Water Group and United Utilities, where he led large-scale water and wastewater operations, overseeing multi-billion-pound asset portfolios and complex capital programmes.
During his time at United Utilities, it achieved top-tier environmental performance, embedded data driven asset management, and transformed operational structures.
Commenting on his appoitment, Keith Haslett, a Chartered Civil Engineer and with an MBA from Queen's University Belfast, said:
"I am delighted to be joining Pennon Group at such a critical time to further improve customer service levels and enhance our environment through an ambitious investment programme to 2030 and beyond. My focus will be to ensure that Pennon delivers on the expectations of all customers, stakeholders, and regulators."
Keith succeeds Susan Davy, who has served as Chief Executive of Pennon Group since 2020. Having worked for 18 years in the company and over 30 years in the water industry, Pennon Group announced in July this year that Susan has decided to retire from the Board.
David Sproul, Chair of Pennon Group commented:
"I am delighted that Keith Haslett will be joining Pennon as our next Chief Executive Officer following a rigorous search process. Keith is a seasoned leader in the UK water sector, bringing over 25 years of experience across regulated utilities, with a strong track record of driving operational excellence, delivering complex capital programmes, and increasing shareholder value."
"On behalf of the Board, I would also like to thank Susan Davy as she retires from Pennon. She has made an exceptional contribution to the Group over the last 18 years, having led and executed a transformational growth strategy. Pennon has grown by over two-thirds under her tenure as CEO and secured its largest ever investment programme for our customers and communities."
The remuneration arrangements in relation to Keith Haslett's compensation will be disclosed on the Company's website in due course in compliance with Section 430(2B) of the Companies Act 2006, and full details will also be disclosed in the Directors' Remuneration Report for the relevant year.