OCU Group Limited (“OCU”), parent company of O’Connor Utilities and Instalcom is further strengthening its senior leadership team with the appointment of a Non-Executive Chairman, David Taylor-Smith MBE.
The leading UK multi-utility services specialist has appointed David who brings almost 30 years of leadership experience to the business.
Based in Stockport, Greater Manchester, OCU operates within regulated and non-regulated infrastructure markets, including electricity, rail, water, gas, and telecoms.
After leaving the army in 1989, David specialised in business transformation and growth, in leadership positions in several companies in the UK and abroad. David has significant experience within B2B contracting and services firms, having held senior executive roles at several blue-chip businesses including G4S and Aggreko.
Most recently, David was Group CEO of facilities services group PHS, where he implemented an improvement plan that saw record growth over three years, and significant improvements to the firm’s cost and productivity.
Since leaving his role at PHS, David has increased his involvement with charitable work and is currently an adviser to The Royal Hospital Chelsea and to the CEO of the military charity React.
David’s appointment comes following a sustained period of growth at OCU, with further growth expected. In his role, he will provide clear strategical support to the Board, ensure that risk is suitably managed and provide oversight on the performance of management against key objectives and the values of the company.
David Taylor-Smith, Non-Executive Chairman of OCU, said:
“OCU is going through a hugely positive period of growth so being part of the team driving this forward is really exciting. I’ve had a really varied career to date and been heavily involved in the significant growth of several h businesses so I’m extremely interested in seeing how I can support OCU’s ambitious future plans.
“There’s so much opportunity in our industry right now, especially as we head closer to Net Zero and sustainability becomes an increasing focus for firms. I look forward to seeing how we can share our expertise in the renewables space and support growth with some of the UK’s leading power and telecoms providers.”
David’s new role follows the appointment earlier this year of Michael Hughes as Group CEO and news that OCU had been acquired by Triton Partners, one of Europe’s leading investment firms.
Michael Hughes, Chief Executive Officer of OCU Group, said:
“2022 has been a transformative year for OCU and we’re focused on continuing to evolve while taking advantage of strategic opportunities in our core sectors. To do this successfully, we need to have a very strong team in place. That’s why I’m excited to have David join the team, bringing with him decades of experience that will benefit OCU.
“Our key differentiator is having a strong operational and commercial culture and a customer-centric service approach. I’m looking forward to working with David to ensure this focus, that has stood us in good stead for so many years, continues for years to come.”
