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People & Opinion Utility Week community UTILITY WEEK | 13TH - 19TH JANUARY 2017 | 7 Bristol Water Bristol Water has appointed Mel Karam as its new chief executive. Currently partner and global head of asset management at KPMG International, Karam will join Bristol Water on 1 April 2017. Current CEO Luis Garcia stepped down after seven years to rejoin Suez Group. BEIS Baroness Neville-Rolfe has departed her post as minister at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to join the Treasury as its new commercial secretary. She has been replaced by Lord Prior of Brampton, who has joined BEIS as a parliamentary under- secretary, having previously served as an under-secretary at the Department of Health. MOSL Market Operator Services Limited (MOSL) has named Adam Rich- ardson as its new market design director. He joins from electricity balancing and settlement firm Elexon and took the reins from Martin Shilcock on 3 January. Waterwise Waterwise has named the current director of Ofwat, Nicci Russell, as its new managing director. Russell was policy director at Waterwise until 2013 and co-founded the organisation with its current managing director Jacob Tompkins, who is leaving after 11 years. In April 2017, Tompkins will become the chief operating officer of The Water Retail Company. EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS What's the most important lesson/idea people should take away from your presentation? How well do you know your customers and what are you doing to tailor and target your services accordingly? What has been the most successful or challenging experience in your career and what did you learn from it? I worked in India managing a number of outsourced retail brands and services. I learnt so much about people, motivation and myself – it was an amazing experience. Which five people would you invite to your dream dinner party and why? 1. Nelson Mandela – an inspirational leader. 2. Walt Disney – his ability to create magic and capture it in his brand is legendary. A truly gied man. Speaker's corner Louise Beardmore, customer services director, United Utilities 3. Winston Churchill – for his conviction and courage. 4. Tom Dolphin – my very first boss, who is sadly not with us any more. He taught me so much. 5. My great-grandad – I never got to meet him, he died having served in the entire Second World War. He was killed by a land mine the day aer the war was declared over – tragic. Name four items you keep on your desk that reveal something about you. 1. A picture of my family – they are what's important. 2. A coffee – I drink far too much of it all day every day! 3. A calendar made by my daughter showing pictures of where we all went on holiday in the previous year. It's the Christmas present I look forward to opening the most. 4. My laptop and phone – they contain my life! Louise Beardmore is speaking at the Utility Week Water Customer Conference on 18 January in Birmingham. For more information, visit: events.utilityweek.co.uk/water. The Utility Week Energy Customer Conference takes place the day after. For more information, visit: events.utilityweek.co.uk/energy Former energy minister Greg Barker has written to the prime minister expressing concerns over the imminent "asset stripping" of the Green Invest- ment Bank (GIB) by Australia's Macquarie. The investment bank is clos- ing in on a £2 billion takeover of the GIB, although the UK government will retain a golden share that will allow it to veto investment in "inappropriate" projects, but it will not have a say in assets being sold. Lord Barker tweeted: "[The prime minister] should tell [chancellor Philip Hammond] to halt sale & pass #GIB back to #BEIS ministers who have the right vision, grip, and under- stand its value. "More evidence #GIB head- ing for break up! I have written directly to PM to rethink sale of this big Conservative success story #assetstripping." PAN-UTILITY Barker: PM should rethink sale of GIB "We work hard to offer fair, stable and affordable prices and reward our loyal customers. That has been our focus in 2016 and we know we'll have to work doubly hard in 2017." Will Morris, group managing director, retail, SSE