David Smith said:
“After nearly two decades at ENA, the time is right for a change, both for ENA and for me, and I have decided to step down at the end of the year.
“I am immensely proud of the team I have built up at ENA and the work we have achieved during my time here, taking the organisation from a small 17-person technical trade association to a globally respected industry association, launching our national single emergency number – Power Cut? Call 105 – to our most recent response to the global pandemic and the green recovery.
“I will be leaving ENA well placed to continue supporting its members meet the challenge of delivering energy to communities safely, sustainably and reliably – a challenge more important today than ever before.”
Phil Jones, Chair of Energy Networks Association, said:
“David has done a fantastic job for the industry during his time at ENA, overseeing our involvement in massive transformations in the sector, working with eight Secretaries of State to represent the UK and Ireland’s electricity and gas networks. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank him for his significant contribution. We wish him every success for whatever he chooses to do next.”
Notes to editor
David will remain in post until the end of the year, working with the Board to appoint his successor. Recruitment is under way and the process is being managed by ENA’s Board.
Biography
David joined ENA in July 2003 and was appointed Chief Executive in October 2007.
Before joining ENA, he was Director of Corporate Affairs at the British Retail Consortium where he was responsible for the retail industry implementation of ‘Chip & Pin’ in the UK.
David is Non-Executive Board Member of the South Tees Development Corporation, the first Mayoral Development Corporation to be established outside London to oversee the redevelopment of the former Redcar Steelworks and a Board member of Teesside Freeport, the UK’s largest Freeport.
David is a Fellow of the Energy Institute, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Fuellers and a Member of the Institute of Directors and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
About us
Energy Networks Association (ENA) is the industry body representing the energy networks. Our members include every major electricity network operator in the UK. The electricity networks are at the heart of the energy transition. They directly employ more than 26,000 people in the UK, including 1,500 apprentices. They are spending and investing £33bn in our electricity grids over the coming years, to ensure safe, reliable and secure energy supplies for the millions of homes and businesses reliant on power every day.
Press contacts
You can contact ENA's press office by emailing press@energynetworks.org. For urgent or out-of-hours enquiries from journalists, please call 0204 599 7691.