The primary focus for the Board is to lead the development and delivery of a sustainable strategy which best meets the needs of our customers, whilst aligning the requirements of all stakeholders including the environment, society and investors.
Vanda Murray OBE, Independent Non-Executive Chair
Appointed: Vanda joined the Board as Independent Non-Executive Director on 1 July 2021, stepping up to become the Chair of the Board on 1 September 2021.
Skills and experience: Vanda is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and has extensive experience of corporate leadership in both executive and non-executive roles. From 2001 to 2004 she was Chief Executive of Blick plc, a FTSE quoted company, where she doubled the value of the business before it was acquired by The Stanley Works Inc. She was also Managing Director of Ultraframe plc between 2004 and 2006. Vanda was appointed OBE for Services to Industry and to Export in 2002.
Other roles: Vanda is Non-Executive Chair of Yorkshire-based Marshalls plc. Vanda is also the Chair of Kelda Holdings Limited and a Non Executive Director at Howden’s and Chairs the Remuneration Committee.
Committee Membership: Chair of the Nomination Committee, Member of Audit and Risk Committee, People and Remuneration Committee, Public Value Committee and Safety, Health and Environment Committee
Nicola Shaw CBE, Chief Executive
Appointed: Nicola joined the Board as CEO in May 2022.
Skills and experience: Nicola brings with her extensive experience in regulated infrastructure businesses and has an excellent track record in driving efficient delivery whilst also improving customer service and colleague engagement. Most recently Nicola was the UK Executive Director for National Grid and was previously the Chief Executive of High Speed 1 and a Director of First Group. Nicola was the author of the Shaw Report published in 2016 which made several recommendations for the future of British Transport. Nicola received a CBE for services to transport in the Queen’s New Year Honours in 2016.
Other roles: Nicola is the CEO for Kelda Holdings Limited and a Non-Executive Director of International Airlines Group.
Committee Membership: Member of Public Value Committee and Safety, Health and Environment Committee
Martin Gee, Chief Financial Officer
Appointed: Martin joined Yorkshire Water as the CFO in May 2025.
Skills and experience: Martin joined from Lanes Group, where he was the Chief Operating Officer responsible for the Sapphire Utility Solutions business. Martin joined Lanes Group in 2021, having previously spent 19 years with United Utilities PLC in various finance and commercial roles, serving as the Commercial Director from September 2015 to March 2021. Martin brings significant financial and operational experience of the water sector to the Board. Martin is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Accountants of England and Wales.
Other roles: Martin is the CFO for Kelda Holdings Limited.
Committee Membership: None.
Andrew Wyllie CBE, Senior Independent Director
Appointed: Andrew joined the Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director in September 2017.
Skills and experience: Andrew was Chief Executive of Costain Group PLC for 14 years up until May 2019. He was also a Non-Executive Director of Scottish Water from April 2009 to April 2017. Andrew has an MBA from the London Business School, he is a Chartered Engineer, a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and was President of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 2019. Prior to joining Costain Group PLC, Andrew worked for Taylor Woodrow where he was the Managing Director of the construction business and a member of the Group Executive Committee. Andrew was awarded a CBE for services to engineering and construction in the 2015 New Year Honours list.
Other roles: Andrew is a Non-Executive Director of Persimmon PLC and BMT Group Ltd and undertakes a variety of independent advisory roles.
Committee Membership: Chair of Safety, Health and Environment Committee, Member of Audit and Risk Committee, Nomination Committee and People and Remuneration Committee
Dame Julia Unwin, Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed: Julia joined the Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director in January 2017.
Skills and experience: Julia brings to the Board a wealth of experience from the voluntary, commercial, and public sectors as well as from regulatory environments. She was the Chief Executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation for a decade until 2016. She has regulatory experience having served on the Boards of the Housing Corporation, the Charity Commission and she was Deputy Chair of the Food Standards Agency. Through her engagement with consumers, regulation and public policy, Julia brings a deep understanding of the interests of customers and individual communities to the Board as well as a specific knowledge of the demographics of the Yorkshire region and of poverty, vulnerability, and disadvantage. She has worked extensively on issues to do with developing social value. In May 2019 Julia received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chartered Management Institute and was appointed a Dame in the 2020 New Year Honours list for her contribution to civil society.
Other roles: Julia is a Non-Executive Director of Mears Group Plc and is the Chair of the Board of Governors of York St John University. She is the Inaugural Chair of the Smart Data Foundry, Edinburgh University.
Committee Membership: Chair of Public Value Committee and Interim Chair of People and Remuneration Committee, Member of Nomination Committee and Safety, Health and Environment Committee
Andrew Merrick, Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed: Andrew joined the Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director in June 2019.
Skills and experience: Andrew brings considerable financial experience and expertise to the Board, as well as strong connections with the Yorkshire region. Prior to joining the Board, Andrew was the CFO of Irwin Mitchell solicitors, having previously worked as Group Finance Director for Dart Group plc and as Director of Finance for Bradford & Bingley plc. Andrew has also sat on the Board of ‘Incommunities’, a Bradford-based social housing provider, where he chaired the Audit Committee.
Other roles: Andrew is a Non-Executive Director of Market Harborough Building Society, a Trustee Director of The Nell Bank Charitable Trust and a Director of Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club Limited and its subsidiary, ILTSC Events Limited.
Committee Membership: Chair of Audit and Risk Committee, Member of Nomination Committee, People and Remuneration Committee, Safety, Health and Environment Committee and Public Value Committee
Wendy Barnes, Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed: Wendy joined the Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director in November 2022.
Skills and experience: Wendy has a significant breadth of knowledge from the utilities sector as well as in regulation, cyber security, customer service and change management. She has previously held non-executive roles at OCS Group, Southern Water Services Limited and Scottish Power Networks Limited. Wendy was previously the Interim Chief Operating Officer at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and she has held executive roles within the water sector, with United Utilities.
Other roles: Wendy is a Non-Executive Director of Scottish Power Limited and BMT Group Limited and undertakes a variety of consultancy roles.
Committee Membership: Chair of the People and Remuneration Committee, Member of the Audit and Risk Committee, Nomination Committee and Public Value Committee.
Furqan Alamgir, Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed: Furqan joined the Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director in October 2024.
Skills and experience: Furqan is the founder and CEO of Connexin, a leading technology company, based in Hull, specialising in smart city solutions and IoT connectivity, which was recently named as one of the Top 100 Fastest Growing Tech Companies at the Northern Tech Awards. Connexin was founded in 2006, whilst Furqan studied medicine at Imperial College.
Other roles: Beyond his role at Connexin, Furqan actively contributes to the tech and business communities, sharing his expertise and insights as a thought leader and public speaker.
Committee Membership: Member of the Audit and Risk Committee, Nomination Committee and Public Value Committee.
Nicola Medalova, Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed: Nicola joined the Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director in September 2025.
Skills and experience: Nicola is a director at National Grid, having worked with them since 2007 in various roles. Most recently she was in New England as the Chief Operating Officer, covering parts of the USA and Canada. She is an engineer by background and a Chartered Environmental Health Officer. Nicola brings significant experience of engineering, utilities, and environmental protection to the Board. She was previously a Board member of the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland and worked as an Environmental Protection Officer in Scotland from January 1998 to March 2007.
Other roles: Nicola is a director at National Grid.
Committee Membership: Member of the Performance Review Committee, Safety, Health and Environment Committee, Nomination Committee, and Remuneration Committee.
Isabelle Caumette, Non-Executive Director
Appointed: Isabelle joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director in November 2023.
Skills and experience: Isabelle is a London based Senior Principal in the European Infrastructure Private Equity division of DWS, and is responsible for leading asset management for a number of funds and leading the transaction team on key infrastructure investment transactions. She is a voting member of the Investment Committee for the four European infrastructure funds managed by DWS. Prior to joining DWS’s infrastructure business in 2011, Isabelle worked as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group.
Other roles: Isabelle is also a Non-Executive Director of Kelda Holdings Limited, and a Non-Executive Director of Streem, a railcars and tank containers leasing company.
Committee Membership: Member of Nomination Committee, People and Remuneration Committee and Safety, Health and Environment Committee
Andrew Dench, Non-Executive Director
Appointed: Andrew joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director in September 2017.
Skills and experience: Andrew is a Senior Vice President in GIC’s Infrastructure team, based in London. He is responsible for the ongoing management of GIC’s global infrastructure portfolio. Prior to joining GIC, Andrew was deputy CEO / CFO of Veolia Water, UK, Ireland & Northern Europe, CFO of Electricity North West, and Head of Corporate Finance & Change at London Stock Exchange Group. While at Veolia, he was a Non-Executive Director of Affinity Water (formerly Veolia Water). Andrew started his career in the investment banking division of Morgan Stanley where he was focused on project finance, mergers & acquisitions, utilities, and the natural resources sector.
Other roles: Andrew is a Non-Executive Director of Kelda Holdings Limited and several other boards, including Teréga (Gas transportation and storage, France), Duquesne Light and Power (Electricity transportation and distribution, US), Greenko (Renewal generation, India) and Raffles Infra Holdings Limited (Infrastructure investment, Asia).
Committee Membership: Member of Audit and Risk Committee, People and Remuneration Committee and Nomination Committee
Ray O'Toole, Non-Executive Director
Appointed: Ray rejoined the Board as a Non-Executive Director in September 2025, having previously been an Independent Non-Executive Director for Yorkshire Water from June 2014 to July 2023.
Skills and experience: Ray has spent the majority of his career in the transport sector, including as Group Chief Operating Officer and UK Chief Executive for National Express plc for ten years until 2010, with operations in Spain, the USA, Canada, and the UK. He started his non-executive career whilst at National Express as a member of the Board of the British Transport Police Authority. From 2011 Ray served as a Non-Executive Director and member of the Safety Committee of the Office of Rail and Road, until he was appointed as Chief Executive of Essential Fleet Services Limited from July 2015 until February 2017. Ray has a background in mechanical engineering in addition to bringing his skills in safety and strategy.
Other roles: Ray is the Chair of Stagecoach Group plc and is a Non-Executive Director of Kelda Holdings Limited.
Committee Membership: Member of the Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee, Public Value Committee, and Safety, Health and Environment Committee.
Simon Beer, Non-Executive Director
Appointed: Simon joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director in November 2024 having previously been an observer on the Board.
Skills and experience: Simon is currently a Partner at StepStone Infrastructure and Real Assets where he leads the Asset Management function. Prior to joining StepStone, Simon worked at Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan in their Infrastructure and Natural Resources team where he focused on asset management and value creation across their global portfolio.
Simon has also been a Partner at KPMG, focused on operational improvement in the Infrastructure and Natural Resources sectors and before that worked for BP in their upstream major projects division.
Other roles: Simon is a Non-Executive Director of Kelda Holdings Limited. He is also a Director of Northern Gas Networks Limited.
Committee Membership: Member of the Nomination Committee and Safety, Health and Environment Committee.
Corporate governance and structure documents
Matters Reserved for the Yorkshire Water Board
Remuneration Committee Terms of Reference
Nomination Committee Terms of Reference
Audit and Risk Committee Terms of Reference
SHE Committee Terms of Reference
Public Value Committee Terms of Reference
Our Occupational Health and Safety policy
Kelda Finance No.1 Limited Section 172 (1) 31 March 2025 extract
Kelda Finance No.2 Limited Section 172 (1) 31 March 2025 extract
Kelda Finance No.3 Limited Section 172 (1) 31 March 2025 extract
Kelda Group Limited Section 172 (1) 31 March 2025 extract
Keyland Development Limited No.1 Limited Section 172 (1) 31 March 2025 extract
Loop Customer Management Limited Section 172 (1) 31 March 2025 extract