Our Board
The SSRO’s governance arrangements are overseen by its Board, which consists of a Chair, five non-executive members and two executive members. The Board is responsible for the discharge of the SSRO’s functions; providing strategic leadership, direction, support and guidance; and overseeing the development and review of the SSRO’s aims and corporate objectives.
 Hannah Nixon, Chair Hannah was appointed as Chair of the SSRO on 3 January 2022. She is also Chair of the Retail Energy Code Company and holds non-executive director positions at the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), Worldpay UK and the National Grid Electricity System Operator (NGESO). |  John Russell, Chief Executive John joined the SSRO as Chief Executive in July 2023. He was a Senior Director at Ofwat from 2016 and has also worked in Shell’s group strategy and business environment teams. He had a long career in Whitehall including Chief Operating Officer for Infrastructure UK and Deputy Director for Growth and Productivity in HM Treasury. |
 Joanne Watts, Chief Regulatory Officer Joanne was appointed Chief Regulatory Officer in June 2022. She is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified accountants who qualified with the MoD working across the Commercial Function and has worked in the defence industry at GEC Marconi Avionics, BAE Systems and Raytheon, in a variety of commercial and senior finance roles. She also has wider experience in the public sector, most recently as a Finance Director in HMRC. |  Hugh Kelly, Non-executive member Hugh was appointed in June 2021 and is Chair of the Audit & Risk Assurance Committee. He is an independent consultant advising regulators and companies on regulatory and competition finance topics. He has worked for more than twenty years on regulatory accounting and costing, profitability and cost analysis in competition cases, and cost of capital topics. His experience includes the telecoms, postal, aviation, energy, water, broadcasting, transport, financial and payment systems sectors. |
 Claire Williams, Non-executive member Claire was appointed in June 2021 and is a member of the Audit & Risk Assurance Committee. She is a non-executive director of the Utility Regulator for Northern Ireland and of the Citizen Housing Group; a member of the audit committee for the Utility Regulator; and a member of Citizen’s audit committee and of its Development Board which oversees Citizen’s housing construction and regeneration programme. |  Roy Barker, Non-executive member Roy was appointed in June 2023 and is a member of the Audit & Risk Assurance Committee. He has a track record of leadership in delivery, sales and commercial roles at executive level in UK businesses, providing services to public and private sector organisations. He has a deep sector knowledge of defence and outsourced services. |
 Alastair Groom, Non-executive member Alastair was appointed in October 2021. He is an independent finance professional practitioner with thirty years’ experience in understanding business strategic, commercial and financial issues and assisting major organisations undergoing structural, financial, operational and efficiency challenges. |
The Board is supported by the following sub-committees:
The Audit & Risk Assurance Committee provides scrutiny, oversight and assurance of risk management, information management, internal control and governance procedures to the Chief Executive, as Accounting Officer, and to the Board.
Referral Committees. The Act requires that several of the SSRO’s functions, listed in Schedule 4, paragraph 10(3), must be exercised by a committee. The Act further states that such Committees must consist of three persons and at least one of the members must be an independent person who is not a member or employee of the SSRO. Committee members are appointed to individual referrals on a case-by-case basis.
The Senior Leadership Team is responsible for the day-to-day management of the SSRO and assists the Chief Executive in the performance of his duties.
Corporate documents
- Corporate governance framework
- Code of conduct for board members
- SSRO Framework Document (PDF, 419 KB, 36 pages)
- Annual Report and Accounts
- SSRO Corporate Plan
- Annual Chair’s letter 2024/25 (PDF, 185 KB, 4 pages)
- Whistleblowing policy
- Complaints policy
- Procedure for responding to Subject Access Requests (PDF, 305 KB, 13 pages)