Sara Vaughan has been appointed as our new Independent Non-Executive Director and forthcoming Chair of the Board.

Sara will succeed The Rt Hon Lord Smith of Finsbury as Independent Chair of the Board in April 2025.

An experienced Executive and Non-executive Director, Sara started her career as a competition and regulatory lawyer at Slaughter and May before moving into the energy industry to join what later became E.ON UK.  There, after broadening her experience, she joined the UK Board as Executive Director for Strategy and Regulation and, latterly, for Political and Regulatory Affairs.

Sara currently holds positions as Chair of the Board at Elexon, Chair of the Balancing & Settlement Code Panel and Non-Executive Director at the North Sea Transition Authority. She also works with Icebreaker One as co-Chair of its Open Energy Steering Group.

Sara brings a deep understanding of commercial, government and regulatory affairs, compliance, policy and governance to her role, together with a passion for customers and people.

Lord Smith was appointed to the Board of South Staffordshire Water Plc, the regulated clean water company that operates Cambridge and South Staffs Water, in 2018 and, as Chair, he has supported the business through the creation and delivery of the AMP 7 (2020-2025) business plan. This has included oversight of significant investment at our two major water treatment works in the South Staffs region, ensuring both continue to provide safe and high-quality drinking water for our customers.

He has also played a crucial role in planning for securing the water resource position in our Cambridge region, from our award-winning behavioural change campaign, 'Can for the Cam' through to strategic resource option development which will secure the position of the region for future generations and enable us to meet our environmental and growth obligations.

Lord Smith’s challenge and oversight supported the creation of our 2025-2030 business plan which will support us in our ongoing delivery for customers and the environment. He will step down from the Board in April 2025.

Charley Maher, Group CEO at South Staffordshire Plc said: "I’m very pleased to welcome Sara to the Board of Cambridge and South Staffs Water. She is an experienced Executive and Non-executive Director and Chair and will strengthen our Board at a critical time, as we deliver our ambitious 2025-2030 business plan; our largest investment period to date.

"I would also like to thank Lord Smith for over six years of excellent support to our business, for which we are very grateful.”

Sara Vaughan added: “I am really excited to join the Board of Cambridge and South Staffs Water at this pivotal time for the company and the industry as a whole. I look forward to working with members of the Board and Senior Executive Team and to building on Lord Smith’s success as Chair."