Dŵr Cymru appoints new chair

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has appointed Jane Hanson as its chair to succeed Alastair Lyons, who will retire from the post at the end of this year after eight years in the role.

Hanson (pictured) has been a non-executive director and Chair of the Audit Committee at Dŵr Cymru since 2021 and, the water company said, has over 30 years experience of working at board level in FTSE 100, regulated, not-for-shareholder and charitable organisations. She will take up the post with effect from 1st January 2025.

She is currently a non-executive director at HM Treasury and chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at the Civil Aviation Authority. She is also an independent advisor to John Lewis and an independent member of its Audit and Risk Committee. She previously held executive roles at major entities including Aviva and KPMG.

Her appointment, Dŵr Cymru said, followed interviews with both internal and external candidates.

Alastair Lyons, current Dŵr Cymru Chair, said: “There is much to be done to improve performance and deliver against customer expectations, and Jane’s substantial experience and insight will help guide the company over the coming years.”

Hanson spoke of the current time as “pivotal and challenging” for the company and the sector. She added “Since joining the board in January 2021, I have been consistently impressed by the dedication and commitment of everyone at Dŵr Cymru to do the right thing for our customers, our communities, and the environment.”