Thames Water creditors accused of ‘shuffling deckchairs’ with plan for new board

A group of creditors seeking control over Thames Water has vowed to reshape the utility's board with former leaders of Yorkshire Water and BT Openreach, should their takeover bid succeed. The London & Valley Water (L&VW) consortium, which includes major investors like Apollo and Elliott, has announced plans to appoint four new directors to the company's board if their rescue strategy is approved by government officials.

Liz Barber, ex-CEO of Yorkshire Water, and Clive Selley, former head of BT Openreach, will each receive non-executive director roles. Mike McTighe, a turnaround expert and current BT Openreach advisor, and Dame Bernadette Kelly, a former government official, will also join the board. McTighe stated, "The challenge at Thames Water is huge."

If the recapitalization plan is accepted, the new board would work with the management team to revamp the business and prioritize customer and community needs. The plan aims to keep Thames Water privately owned and eventually relist it on the London Stock Exchange. All profits would be reinvested in the company, with no dividends paid to investors for a decade.

However, ministers are considering placing the company in a special administration regime, which would effectively nationalize it, causing significant losses for current investors. Pressure has been mounting on the government to exert more public control over utility companies. Thames Water has been grappling with a debt of nearly £20 billion and has warned investors that it will run out of cash by year-end. Former environment secretary Emma Reynolds recently dismissed the L&VW's turnaround proposal.