OVO has strengthened its senior leadership team with two new hires, with Ben Blake joining the company as CEO of OVO Energy and Smart Home and Simon Maine as director of Corporate Affairs.
Blake is joining the OVO from travel company the Expedia Group, where he is currently senior vice president and general manager. He has previously held roles at McKinsey and CNN, and will start his new position at OVO in November.
His new role will include responsibility for the brand, propositions and customer experience, alongside expanding the OVO Energy brand internationally. The company grew significantly earlier this year when it acquired SSE Energy Services for £500 million.
Ben Blake said it was an “exciting time to join the energy sector” given the imperative to tackle climate change becoming more acute.
“Consumers are beginning to engage with the impact of their carbon footprint like never before and brands like OVO Energy are empowering customers to take more control of their consumption. OVO Energy has built a strong brand equity and credibility which gives it the opportunity to be a leading voice on the path to a decarbonised world.”
Maine is joining the company in a newly created role, as director of corporate affairs, taking responsibility for public affairs, policy, media relations and sustainability. He will help to coordinate corporate communications across the whole OVO group, including all retail brands, international brands and the Kaluza technology brand.
He is set to join OVO from strategic advisory firm Brunswick in October, building on his current role leading strategy for power, renewables and new energy technologies.
Maine said that the rest of the energy sector is “playing catch-up to OVO’s fresh thinking”.
“I’ve long admired the business for how it combines a great customer brand with a deep-seated purpose to alter the course of climate change. Corporate affairs will play a critical role in connecting to the audiences who share these passions and will fuel OVO’s growth.
“I am delighted to be joining the team on the next stage in its journey.”
OVO has been expanding its senior management team over the past year, appointing Jonson Cox as non-executive director of its recently created OVO Energy Board in August, and Stacey Cartwright as chair of the board in April.
Stephen Fitzpatrick, CEO and founder of OVO said that both Blake and Maine were “world class experts” in their fields, and he was “delighted” to welcome them to the team.
“Over the next ten years as we digitise and decarbonise the energy sector, we have an enormous opportunity to make a global impact for customers and for the environment. Ben and Simon bring a wealth of expertise and will play a critical role in shaping OVO’s future.”
