Executive team
Meet the team behind the South Staffordshire Plc Group
Board of Directors
Click on a member below to learn more about them
Charley Maher
Group Chief Executive Officer
Charley was appointed South Staffordshire Plc’s Group Chief Executive Officer in 2023. Prior to joining, Charley worked for YTL UK, as Chief Commercial Officer of Wessex Water Group, and Managing Director at Pelican Business Services and water2business.
Mick Horn
Interim Group Chief Finance Officer
Mick was appointed Interim Group Chief Finance Officer at South Staffordshire Plc in April 2025. He brings over 30 years of experience in finance, having held several senior financial leadership positions across the retail and infrastructure sectors, including at Office Depot and Idverde.
Leadership team
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Barry Hayward
Group Chief Commercial Officer
Appointed CCO of South Staffordshire Plc in January 2024 having previously held senior leadership roles in the utilities sector.
Andrew Lobley
Managing Director – AES and Hydrosave
Appointed Managing Director of AES and Hydrosave in December 2024, Andrew previously held two senior roles in sister Group companies.
Elena Karpathakis
Managing Director – South Staffs Water
Elena has been appointed South Staffs Water’s Managing Director in March 2025. Prior to joining, Elena worked for British Gas, most recently leading one of the UK’s largest engineering workforces. Earlier in her career she held leadership positions at Openreach and BT.
Hayley Monks
Managing Director – Echo Managed Services
Hayley was appointed Managing Director of Echo Managed Services in December 2024.
With over 20 years of experience in the utilities sector, she has led successful transformation initiatives through strong, effective leadership.
James Skelton
Managing Director – Office Watercoolers
Appointed as Managing Director of Group business Office Watercoolers in April 2025, James began his journey with the company over 15 years ago, working across a spectrum of operational and leadership roles.
Joel Stevens
Managing Director – OnSite
Joel was appointed Managing Director of OnSite in November 2024. Before joining the Group, he held senior roles as Managing Director and Development Director at MUJV and Veolia.
Nick Marshall
Managing Director – Omega Red Group
Appointed as Managing Director for Omega Red Group in March 2025, having previously been Group Sales and Marketing Director at Murphy Geospatial.
Steven Draper
Managing Director – Infrastructure Gateway Ltd
Appointed as Managing Director of Infrastructure Gateway in May 2018. Steven has worked in the engineering and utilities sector for over 20 years starting in the water and wastewater arena.
Ben Brownhill
Chief Operating Officer – Infrastructure Gateway Ltd
Ben joined Infrastructure Gateway Ltd (IGL) in 2016 and was appointed Chief Operating Officer in September 2024, having previously been Technical Director and Operations Director.
Sara McCann
Group HR Director
Appointed as Group HR Director in May 2024, having joined the business in September 2023 as Head of People for South Staffordshire Water.
Stephen Smith
Group Strategy and Investor Relations Director
Appointed as Group Director of Strategy and Investor Relations in September 2024. Prior to joining, Stephen worked for Water2Business, where he developed his knowledge of the utilities sector.
Caroline Boden
Group Head of Marketing and Communication
Caroline was appointed Group Head of Marketing and Communication in June 2021, after joining the business in January 2015 as Marketing Manager for Echo Managed Services.
Caroline Stretton
Group Company Secretary and Head of Legal
Caroline was appointed Group Company Secretary and Head of Legal at South Staffordshire Plc in March 2020, and took on the additional role of General Counsel in 2024.
Richard Brookes
Group Head of Health and Safety
Richard was appointed Group Head of Health and Safety in January 2020. A skilled safety professional with over 20 years of experience, he has held senior health and safety roles across a wide range of sectors, including retail, telecoms, aviation, and water utilities.
Rob Fell
Group IT Director
Rob joined South Staffordshire Plc as Group IT Director in July 2022, bringing over 20 years of experience in IT.
Rob Rhead
Group Financial Controller
Rob was appointed Group Financial Controller in March 2024. With over 20 years of experience in finance, Rob has held senior positions across a diverse range of sectors, including manufacturing, transportation and hospitality.