Welsh Water managing director to step up to chief as Glas founder retires

Welsh Water managing director, Peter Perry, will take over as chief executive from 1 April 2020 when current chief and co-founder of the Glas Cymru not for profit model Chris Jones retires at the end of March.

Jones set up Glas Cymru with Nigel Annett in 2000, and raised £1.9bn in long-term bonds to buy Welsh Water from WPD in 2001. At the time it was the largest-ever sterling bond issue.

Jones, a director at the company for 25 years, said: “I am proud of what we have achieved since Nigel Annett and I first launched our unique, not-for-profit company back in April 2000. We have created a clear corporate purpose and vision, with a strong and well-embedded culture of customer-led success. To date, customers have benefitted to the tune of around £450 million – money that in other companies would have gone to shareholders.”

Perry (pictured) has been managing director since 2017, chief operating officer since 2013 and operations director since 2006. He has a civil engineering background and was formerly chief operating officer of United Utilities Operational Services (UUOS). Prior to joining UUOS, he worked for Welsh Water for over 20 years.