CEO Council

Collaborating and speaking with one clear, influential and authoritative skills voice for industry.

The Energy & Utility Skills Partnership (EUSP) CEO Council

The Energy & Utility Skills Partnership CEO Council brings together Chief Executives and Managing Directors from across the energy, water, and waste sectors. It serves as the authoritative national voice on workforce and skills, providing clear leadership on the challenges and opportunities facing the UK’s essential services.

The Council identifies and prioritises the most critical workforce issues, shapes the Skills Strategy for 2025 to 2030, guides coordinated action across the four nations, and ensures that industry evidence informs decisions taken by government, regulators, and system operators.

Our 2026/27 Year 2 Skills Strategy Priorities

In June 2026, the Energy & Utility Skills Partnership (EUSP) CEO Council agreed a set of Year 2 priorities to focus delivery of the Skills Strategy 2025-2030 on the areas where industry collaboration can have the greatest impact. These priorities were shaped by progress during the first year of strategy delivery, feedback from employers and partners across the sector, and a conscious decision by the Council to sharpen the Partnership’s focus on the workforce challenges most critical to the delivery of essential infrastructure across the United Kingdom.

These priorities ensure that resources, expertise and influence are directed towards the areas that will make the greatest contribution to attracting, developing and retaining the skilled workforce needed to deliver the sector’s long-term ambitions.

Leadership and Governance

The Council is jointly led by two Co Chairs, Nicola Connelly, Chief Executive of SP Energy Networks, and Andrew Findlay, Chief Executive of M Group. Both were elected by members in December 2025.

Nicola and Andrew provide strategic leadership, maintain focus on national workforce priorities, and ensure the Council operates with authority, clarity, and purpose across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Their role reflects the ambition of the sector and the scale of the workforce challenge ahead.

Our Co Chairs serve a three year term with the option of one further extension. In their absence, meetings are chaired by the Group Chief Executive of the Energy & Utility Skills Group, as set out in the Terms of Reference.

Governance is straightforward and effective. The Council meets twice a year, normally in London, with additional virtual sessions as required. A quorum for decisions is thirty per cent of members, including at least one Co Chair. Notes and agreed actions are recorded and circulated. A formal review of the Terms of Reference will take place by June 2028.

Purpose and Role

The Council’s purpose is to provide a unified and authoritative voice on workforce and skills. In line with the Terms of Reference, the Council will:

Identify, evaluate, and address the most critical workforce challenges and opportunities across energy, water, and waste.
Champion the delivery of the Skills Strategy 2025 to 2030, ensuring alignment between industry and government ambitions.
Drive coordinated sector action through the EUSP Delivery Board and oversee progress through measurable outcomes.
Ensure national coherence across the four nations, supporting the delivery of the United Kingdom’s clean energy, water resilience, and waste transformation goals.
Engage directly with government, regulators, and industry bodies to ensure decisions are informed by robust workforce evidence.
Promote collaboration that strengthens inclusion, opportunity, and equity across communities throughout the UK.

Members act in a personal capacity and are expected to guide their organisations to align with Council priorities.

Membership

Membership of the CEO Council is available to all members of the Energy & Utility Skills Partnership. CEOs or Managing Directors seeking to join must contact the Group Chief Executive, setting out their ambitions for joining and their commitment to active engagement. Applications are considered by the Group Chief Executive and the Co Chairs, in line with the Terms of Reference. Decisions are taken by unanimous or majority vote.

Members nominate a senior representative to the EUSP Delivery Board, which converts Council priorities into practical action across the sector network. Energy & Utility Skills provides secretariat support to ensure the Council remains focused on outcomes for the sector.

Read the CEO Council Terms of Reference for full details on purpose, membership, and governance.