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Iain Coucher has today (11 May) been named as the new Chair of Ofwat, the independent economic regulator of water services in England and Wales.

He will take up the post on 1 July 2022 for a term of four years and will succeed Jonson Cox, who has agreed to extend his tenure as Chair of Ofwat until 30 June 2022.

Mr Coucher has been appointed following a rigorous process conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Governance Code on Public Appointments. The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee held a pre-appointment hearing last month and subsequently supported his suitability for the post. The Environment Secretary has since approved the appointment.

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. There is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if any declared) to be made public. Mr Coucher has not declared any significant political activity in the past five years.

Biographical details of Iain Coucher

• Iain has held a number of senior executive roles, including that of Chief Executive at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) and Network Rail.
• He has been a non-executive director for Cadent Gas plc and a Board Member for the Rail Safety and Standards Board.
• He is currently a senior adviser at HIG Capital, a leading global investment fund, as well as a Trustee of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).