INDEPEN AND THE INDEPEN FORUM

Indepen

Since 1990 Indepen has been a management consultancy working with senior people in investors, regulators, companies and supply chains in infrastructure and utilities.

While our work has evolved as the sectors have changed, our main modes of operation have remained, namely helping senior clients make sure that they devote enough time to allow them to address the strategic decisions and tradeoffs they make inform their decision making by a combination of horizon scanning, common sense reflection and engagement with internal and external parties and organisations keep their governance processes sharp and effective from board level downwards throughout the organisation are able to justify and communicate their decisions in a coherent and convincing way with evidence that is soundly based.

Having been long in the game, our senior people have a length and depth of sector and institutional memory that may be unrivalled in the industries in which we work. One leading UK infrastructure business has been a client of Indepen client continuously since the mid-90s.

We complement the skills and experience of our core team with input from our associates who have themselves played senior roles in quoted and private companies and regulators, and as academics and from our partner businesses that have complementary skills and capabilities, including in artificial intelligence, machine learning and related analytics.

The Indepen Forum

The Forum provides a place where new ideas and approaches can be developed, socialised and refined. The meetings of the Forum are private but not secret: they take place under The Chatham House Rule.

Increasingly we observe that markets, business and their customers are ahead of governments and regulators in innovation and adapting to the multiple evolving challenges we are all grappling.

The Forum, and the associated series of summits we have hosted with The Water Report have a history of anticipating issues and policy developments.

The topics we have covered and the chairs and speakers who have honoured the Forum with their participation are summarised at https://indepen.uk.com/ where you can find summaries of the debates we have had.

Since 2018, Indepen and The Water Report have come together to host the Social Contract Summit, an opportunity for decision makers to explore how companies providing essential services infrastructure – water, energy, transport and communications – could provide more value to citizens, society and the environment. The agendas and speakers at the Summits can be seen at https://indepen.uk.com/the-summit/

The Forum is sponsored by a group of businesses all of which have been long term supporters. The sponsors have the opportunity to propose topics and speakers and to issue invitations to the events.

Most of the Forum debates take pace in central London but we are keen to include other locations and this year we have held events in Leeds and Edinburgh.

As well as the regular Forum events we convene and facilitate roundtables where smaller groups of interested parties can explore their thinking on a particular aspect of a Forum debate or any other issue which is central to the development of government and regulatory policy, particularly where change is needed.

We welcome ideas for Forum and round table topics. Please contact John Hargreaves or Ann Bishop john.hargreaves@indepen. uk.com and ann.bishop@indepen.uk.com.

CHAIR: Ann Bishop

›I have spent the last 37 years working in the regulated environment with boards and investors in water, energy, transport, telecoms, financial services, social housing and higher education.

I am founder and Chair of Indepen, and lead the Indepen Forum, which was established in 1995 to bring together infrastructure businesses, policy makers, regulators, investors, customer representatives, the supply chain and others to debate topical and often controversial issues which might not otherwise be considered in such a diverse environment.

I am chair of UK Power Networks’ Customer Engagement Group, established in 2019 to ensure that the DNO’s business plan for 2023-2028 reflects the needs and preferences of customers now and in the future.

Before establishing Indepen, I worked for P&O, Chase Manhattan Bank, County Bank and the strategy group of Deloitte consultancy, specialising in the financial services and retail sectors.

I have previously served as a Board Member at Leeds Beckett University and Chair of its Remuneration Committee; Deputy Chair of Opera North; an Ambassador for Wellbeing of Women, the charitable arm of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; a member of Ofwat’s Expert Panel; a Commissioner of the London First Infrastructure Commission; and an INED at Affinity Water.

DIRECTOR: John Hargreaves

›I am an economist and have been a lecturer, a civil servant and have worked in management consultancy and in corporate finance teams. I start from the position that the questions are more important than the answer.

I’ve worked in the water, energy, telecommunications and transportation sectors and advised government departments, regulatory and competition agencies and numerous investor-owned businesses in the UK and around the world. As well as serving infrastructure clients, I led the mergers and acquisitions team at Deloitte and worked with UK government agencies on areas of public policy including education, health, and social housing. Just now I am advising investor-owned businesses in the UK on their regulatory strategies, helping them to access new markets and services, attract investment and deliver outcomes that meet the economic, environmental and social challenges they face.

DIRECTOR: David Elliott

›I have over 30 years’ experience in the utilities sector, primarily the water industry, at all levels including 10 years as an Executive Director at Wessex Water.

More recently I worked as Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer at Wessex Water helping them migrate to a modern and agile water service provider based upon an open-system model enabling Wessex to deliver greater customer and environmental value.

I am a systems thinker, and have particular interest and experience in how markets, through the use of digital business models, can encourage better system design. One of my key areas of specialism is how natural capital can contribute to some of our societal and environmental issues today, and how customers, as prosumers can contribute to better outcomes.

I have experience with a number of start ups including founding EnTrade, an exciting online trading platform for environmental services that enables businesses to collaborate on investments to improve environmental and societal outcomes. I have also served as Non-Executive Director at Flipper, an energy auto-switching platform and Albion Water – an independent water and sewerage services provider for new housing developments.

In the innovation and research space I recently served as a Non-Executive Director of UKWIR, specialising in water industry research and innovation.

I am the founder of Business4Life, a leadership development programme involving setting up model businesses whose profits go to WaterAid.

ASSOCIATE: Laura Sweeney

›I have worked in various industries including the legal, finance, retail and charity sectors.

In addition to running my own business in the events and services industry, I have also held roles as Legal PA to a Senior Partner, Marketing Executive, Development Officer and Retail Manager.

At Indepen, I apply my background in customer experience and events management to help manage the full programme of Indepen Forum events throughout the year.

TEAM ADMINISTRATOR Abi Rowe

›Abi’s primary responsibilities involve offering administrative support to the Indepen Directors, managing their schedules, and spearheading the company’s business planning efforts. Additionally, Abi plays a crucial role in organizing the yearly Indepen Forum Events, along with any small-scale Roundtable events that may arise in the interim, in addition to the annual Summit.

Abi has previously held roles in project management, customer service, and business development, which have enabled her to develop a diverse range of skills that she can apply to her current role at Indepen. As a result, she finds her work at Indepen both stimulating and fulfilling.