The Board of Severn Trent Plc has announced the appointment of Richard Taylor, the current Chair of Greenhill & Co International as a Non-Executive Director of the company with effect from 1 April 2024.

He has also been appointed to the Board of Severn Trent Water and appointed as a member of the Treasury, Remuneration, Audit and Risk and Nominations Committees.

He will succeed Gillian Sheldon as Chair of the Treasury Committee upon her retirement from the Board on 14 May 2024 in order to focus on her executive commitments, following her appointment as Managing Director and Vice-Chair of the UK investment banking division at Morgan Stanley.

Severn Trent said Richard Taylor brings extensive financial experience to the company gained through his career in investment banking, together with experience of organisations with strong social purpose. He is currently Chair of Greenhill & Co International, an investment bank focused on providing financial advice globally on significant mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, financing and capital advisory to companies and other organisations. Greenhill was acquired by, and became part of, Mizuho Financial Group in 2023.

Prior to joining Greenhill in 2020, Richard was Chairman of Global Corporate and Investment Banking at Barclays Plc, where he had been since 2011. Prior to joining Barclays, Richard spent nearly 11 years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he was Head of UK and Ireland Corporate and Investment Banking.

Commenting on the appointment, Christine Hodgson, Chair, said:

"On behalf of the entire Board, I look forward to welcoming Richard to Severn Trent. His extensive experience and strong belief in the positive role that businesses should play in society and for the environment, will help to ensure that we continue to build upon the excellent progress we have made in delivering for our customers, shareholders, employees, and the communities we serve."

Richard Taylor said:

"I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed as a Director of Severn Trent. I look forward to working with the Board and an exceptional team of colleagues to shape this important next chapter; delivering outstanding services for customers, sustainable shareholder value, and an enduring positive impact on the environment and society."