Margaret Fay delighted with Northumbrian Water role

Jun 1 2010 by Iain Laing, The Journal

A LEADING business woman has been appointed to the boards of Northumbrian Water as an independent non-executive director.

Margaret Fay, CBE and OBE, joins the boards of Northumbrian Water Group plc and Northumbrian Water Limited today.

She said: “I’m delighted to take up this opportunity to work with one of the best water companies in the country which has such a great regional and national reputation. It will be an exciting new challenge joining Northumbrian Water at the start of a new era under the leadership of its new chief executive, Heidi Mottram.”

She was formerly managing director of Tyne Tees Television until she took early retirement in 2003 in order to take up her current position as chairman of One North East which she leaves later this year.

Mrs Fay, 61, was awarded an OBE for services to broadcasting in 2004 and in this year’s New Year’s Honours List was awarded a CBE for services to regional development.

She is a board member of the new Homes and Communities Agency, a patron of Tees Valley Community Foundation and, in June 2005, was appointed the Prince of Wales’s Ambassador for the North East of England.

The Durham-based utility also announced the retirement from its boards of Jenny Williams from July 29 after six years on the group board and four on the company board.

As well as being Head of Water Finance and Flotation at the time of water privatisation, Ms Williams held a variety of directorships in a range of Government departments, including the Home Office and Inland Revenue. She was previously a director-general of the Lord Chancellor’s.

Sir Derek Wanless, Northumbrian Water chairman said: “We thank Jenny for her contribution to the company and wish her very well for the future. We are delighted to be welcoming Margaret, who brings a wealth of experience in both executive and non-executive roles and is very well respected in the region and at a national level.”