Gas firm announces new chief executive to lead change

Coventry-based Cadent Gas has announced the appointment of Steve Fraser as its new chief executive officer and will join the firm in the autumn.

Currently the chief operating officer at United Utilities, he brings a wealth of experience to Cadent in leading teams through change, managing and transforming infrastructure businesses.

Fraser will lead Cadent on “the next step of its journey, to put the customer at the heart of everything it does”, beyond the RIIO1 regulatory period into RIIO2.

With more than 20 years’ experience of managing and transforming infrastructure businesses latterly as Chief Operating Officer and a main board Director of the FTSE100 water company United Utilities, Fraser has trained in utilities operations working across water, electricity and latterly high-pressure gas pipeline.

He became a Director of Bethell Group where he worked to establish them as a leading player in the energy services sector prior to joining United Utilities in 2005 to run the global outsourcing division Energy and Contracting Services working across the UK Europe and The Middle East.

Fraser then became Managing Director of United Utilities Water in 2010 and from there joined the main board as Chief Operating Officer.

Steve Hurrell will continue as the interim CEO until the autumn, and then return to his role as chief financial officer. Hurrrell became the interim CEO in February this year after Chris Train, OBE confirmed his plans to retire.