119SSE plc Annual Report 2023
Financial StatementsStrategic Report Directors’ Report
Lady Elish Angiolini QC
Non-Executive Director
John Bason
Non-Executive Director
Debbie Crosbie
Non-Executive Director
Peter Lynas
Non-Executive Director
Helen Mahy CBE
Non-Executive Director
Melanie Smith CBE
Non-Executive Director
NC
SHE
RC
NC
AC
RC
NC
AC
ER
NC
AC
RC
NC
AC
SHE
NC
ER
RC
Date of appointment
Non-Executive Director since September 2021
Date of appointment
Non-Executive Director since June 2022
Date of appointment
Non-Executive Director since September 2021
Date of appointment
Non-Executive Director since July 2014
Date of appointment
Non-Executive Director since March 2016
Date of appointment
Non-Executive Director since January 2019
Board tenure
1 year
Board tenure
Under 1 year
Board tenure
1 year
Board tenure
8 years
Board tenure
7 years
Board tenure
4 years
Career and experience
Lady Elish has an extensive public sector legal
career, serving as Lord Advocate of Scotland
from 2006 to 2011, across two government
administrations, having previously been Solicitor
General for Scotland. Since then, she has carried
out independent public inquiries and reviews
for the UK and Scottish Governments and held
positions in academia, serving as Principal of
St Hugh’s College Oxford since 2012. She is also
a Pro-Vice Chancellor of Oxford University and
previous Chancellor of the University of West of
Scotland. She is Chair of the Board of Trustees for
the legal action non-governmental group Reprieve
and a patron of several charities.
Career and experience
John brings significant listed company and recent
and relevant financial and international experience
through a career in global businesses. He joined
Associated British Foods plc (ABF) as Finance
Director in 1999 and held this position until
stepping down in April 2023. Whilst in post, ABF’s
diverse food, ingredients and retail businesses
employed 128,000 people and operated in 53
countries across Europe, Asia, the Americas,
Australia and Africa. Prior to this, John was
Finance Director of the international distribution
and services group Bunzl plc. Non-Executive
experience includes Senior Independent Director
and Audit Committee Chair of Compass Group
PLC. John is a Chartered Accountant.
Career and experience
Debbie brings over 25 years of experience in
financial services leadership and became the
first female Chief Executive of Nationwide
Building Society in 2022. Prior to this appointment,
Debbie served as CEO of TSB from May 2019 and
was previously an Executive Director and Chief
Operating Officer of Clydesdale Bank, where
she led preparations for its successful demerger
from National Australia Bank and subsequent IPO.
Debbie is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of
Bankers and a member of the Glasgow Economic
Leadership Board and the Strathclyde University
Business School Advisory Board.
Career and experience
Peter has over 30 years of business experience
spanning all areas of finance. He retired from the
role of Group Finance Director of BAE Systems plc
in March 2020, prior to which he was Director,
Financial Control, Reporting and Treasury. His early
career involved roles within GEC Marconi, where
he was appointed Finance Director of Marconi
Electronic Systems before the completion
of the British Aerospace/Marconi merger.
He is a Fellow of the Chartered Association
of Certified Accountants.
Career and experience
Helen is a former Company Secretary and General
Counsel of National Grid plc. She is an experienced
non-Executive Director with previous directorships
at Bonheur ASA, Aga Rangemaster plc, Stagecoach
Group plc, SVG Capital plc, Chair of MedicX Fund
Limited, Deputy Chair and Senior Independent
Director of Primary Health Properties PLC, and
Chair of The Renewables Infrastructure Group
Limited. She was a member of the Parker Review
steering committee into the Ethnic Diversity of
UK Boards. She is a patron of the Social Mobility
Business Partnership, Co-chair of the Employers
Social Mobility Alliance and Chair of the Global
Media Campaign to end FGM.
Career and experience
Melanie has over 20 years of strategy and
transformation experience. Most recently, she
built the Ocado Retail joint venture – the world’s
largest pureplay online grocer and the UK’s fastest
growing grocer, of which she was CEO until 2022.
Prior to this she was Strategy Director for Marks &
Spencer with responsibility for group strategy, M&S
Bank and M&S Services. Earlier roles include Global
Strategy and Marketing Director at Bupa, Chief
Operating Officer at TalkTalk and a Partner in
McKinsey’s Consumer practice.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and
long-term success
• Possesses significant understanding of
Scottish governance and has practical
experience of working with the UK and
Scottish governments through involvement
in independent public reviews, whilst
maintaining no political affiliation.
• Strong ambassadorial skills developed
through an international stakeholder network
in judicial, governmental, diplomatic, and
academic fields.
• Exercises a strong sense of social purpose
and adds depth of perspective to Board
considerations, including as an advocate
for employee views in the Boardroom;
reinforcing SSE’s approach to wider
value creation.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and
long-term success
• Extensive leadership experience and
international perspective, gained from global
companies and complex operations, which
will be invaluable to SSE’s growth and entry
into new markets.
• A proven track record in developing financial
and commercial strategy, including M&A,
corporate transactions and large capital
projects, which complements SSE’s Net
Zero Acceleration Programme Plus, and
supports appointment to the role of Audit
Committee Chair from 21 July 2023.
• Understanding of the listed company context
with practical experience of investor relations
and ESG strategy, placing upmost importance
on the role of sustainability.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and
long-term success
• Extensive experience of the implementation
of strategy, including execution of far-
reaching transformation projects within
large consumer-facing organisation,
and the critical role of digital and data.
• Understanding of capital allocation,
optimisation, and investment appraisal
frameworks central to SSE’s growth plans.
• Responsible for efficient and effective
operations in high profile organisations
in a heavily regulated sector, requiring a
compliance-driven approach and proficiency
in IT and cyber security, risk management and
internal controls.
• Business leader with expert understanding
of the wider organisational responsibilities
to employees and society.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and
long-term success
• Brings recent and relevant financial
experience to the Board and strong
direction to the Audit Committee, as Chair
of which, he drives focus on the risk and
control environment including Group
resilience, cyber security and the ethics
and compliance culture.
• International business perspective and
an applied understanding of long-term
project management and delivery, including
investment appraisal, contracting and supply
chain experience.
• Up-to-date investor relations experience
through his executive career at BAE and
pensions insight having been Chair of the
trustee Board of a major UK scheme.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and
long-term success
• Long-standing energy and regulatory
expertise, including understanding of the
legal, compliance, governance and risk
frameworks in which SSE’s businesses operate
and a decade of experience overseeing
renewables infrastructure investment.
• Insight into a broad range of investor and
stakeholder perspectives and trends from
cross-sectoral, international and external
Board interests that enable wider discussion
and debate.
• Advocate of a strong safety and employee
wellbeing culture, extensive knowledge of
sustainability, and applies a wide focus to
social equity including social mobility and
inclusion and diversity.
Skills and attributes which support strategy and
long-term success
• Highly qualified to appraise strategy
development and execution, having
advised and led growth, brand and business
transformation in the consumer and retail
sectors worldwide.
• Deep commercial and digital experience
across multiple goods and services categories,
including insurance, telco and energy that
furthers Board understanding of the customer.
• Has a people centric style and wide-ranging
experience in a global context including a
strong cultural appreciation.
• An entrepreneurial organisational leader,
actively engaging with stakeholder views
to create high performing organisations.
Key external appointments and changes
• Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University
of Oxford.
• Principal of St Hugh’s College Oxford.
• Chair of the Sarah Everard Inquiry.
• Chair of Board of Trustees of Reprieve.
• Stepped down as Chair of the Discipline
Board of ICAS in March 2023.
Key external appointments and changes
• Non-Executive Director of Bloomsbury
Publishing Plc.
• Chair of the charity FareShare.
• Primark Strategic Advisory Board Chair from
April 2023.
• Stepped down as Finance Director of
Associated British Foods plc in April 2023.
Key external appointments and changes
• Chief Executive of Nationwide Building
Society.
• Member of the Glasgow Economic
Leadership Board.
• Member of the Business School Advisory
Board of Strathclyde University.
• Member of the FCA Practitioner Panel
from June 2022.
• Director of UK Finance from May 2023.
Key external appointments and changes
• Senior Independent Director of First Group plc.
Key external appointments and changes
• Non-Executive Director of Gowling WLG
(UK) LLP.
• Non-Executive Director of NextEnergy Solar
Fund from April 2023.
• Stepped down as Chair of The Renewables
Infrastructure Group Limited in October 2022.
• Stepped down as Commissioner for The
Equality and Human Rights Commission in
March 2023.
Key external appointments and changes
• Advisory Board member of Manaia.
• Trustee of Sadler’s Wells.
• Founder of Mokaraka Trust.
• Trustee of Somerset House from
December 2022.
• Stepped down as CEO of Ocado Retail
Limited in August 2022.