Yorkshire Water Chief Executive Nicola Shaw Resigns Following Regulator Downgrade

Nicola Shaw will resign from her position as Chief Executive of Yorkshire Water in January 2025, the company confirmed. Shaw, who assumed leadership in May 2022, will have served less than two years in the top role.

Her resignation follows a recent assessment by the Environment Agency, which downgraded Yorkshire Water's environmental performance to a two-star rating. This classification denotes a 'significant decline' in the utility firm's operational standards regarding pollution control.

Luke Lovegrove, currently Yorkshire Water's Chief Operating Officer, has been appointed as the interim Chief Executive, effective from Shaw's departure. The company has stated that a process to appoint a permanent successor is underway.

Yorkshire Water is one of several private utility companies operating within the UK's privatised water sector, facing persistent scrutiny over infrastructure investment, executive remuneration, and environmental compliance.