Severn Trent Plc announced that Liv Garfield is stepping down as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and Executive Director of Severn Trent. The Board announced that following a rigorous internal and external evaluation process, which reflects effective long-term succession planning, James Jesic has been selected to succeed Liv. James is currently Capital and Commercial Services Director at Severn Trent and Managing Director of Hafren Dyfrdwy Cyfyngedig ("Hafren Dyfrdwy").
James will take over as CEO and join the Board from 1 January 2026. Liv will step down from the Board on 31 December 2025. She will remain with the business until the finalisation of the financial year ending 31 March 2026 andwill support James with a detailed handover of responsibilities, support and counsel to ensure a smooth transition.
Having made a strong start to the largest ever investment programme, Liv and the Board agree that this is the right time to transition to a new CEO. James is an exceptionally well-qualified internal successor to deliver the well-established plans for long-term and sustainable growth. Liv steps down after leading Severn Trent into the start of its c £15 billion price review period, a plan which was rated Outstanding by Ofwat, enabling record levels of investment in the water and waste networks across the Midlands.
The company has recently been awarded the highest 4-star rating for environmental performance by the Environment Agency for the sixth year running. James, a chartered engineer, joined Severn Trent as a graduate in 2003 and has since worked across the full breadth of the business. He was appointed to the Severn Trent Executive Committee in 2018, later becoming Customer Operations Director.
In 2023 he became Capital and Commercial Services Director, responsible for delivering the Severn Trent's multi-billion-pound capital design and delivery programme. James was also appointed to the Board of Hafren Dyfrdwy, Severn Trent's licensed entity in Wales, in July 2020, taking on the role of Managing Director.
