Nicola Medalova to lead Yorkshire Water as Nicola Shaw steps down

Nicola Medalova, a former National Grid executive who has sat on Yorkshire Water's board, will become the company's chief executive on January 1, 2027, after Nicola Shaw announced on October 30, 2026, that she is stepping down. Medalova joins as chief executive designate on November 2, and Shaw will stay in charge during a handover period, working alongside her. Shaw's decision, after about four and a half years in the job, came a day after England's Environment Agency cut Yorkshire Water's environmental rating to one star out of four, the lowest possible score.

Water companies in England are under heavy public and regulatory pressure over sewage spills and river pollution, and the job of running one has become one of the most exposed roles in British business. Yorkshire Water serves a large region of northern England, and a one-star rating from the Environment Agency is a public mark that the regulator considers its environmental performance poor. In that setting, a change at the top is closely watched by customers, investors and the government.

The handover also stands out because one woman is succeeding another as head of a large regional utility, a sector where the top jobs have long been held mostly by men. Medalova's path, from National Grid, a major British energy network company, to a seat on Yorkshire Water's board and now the chief executive's office, shows how board experience inside a company can lead to the top job.

Shaw's record, as described by the company's chair, includes bringing in new money from shareholders, which water companies need for repairs and upgrades. But the regulator's rating and the scrutiny of her pay show the other side of leadership in a troubled sector: results on the environment and on public trust now weigh as much as finance. Medalova inherits both the new investment and the poor rating.

For Indian readers, the story is a reminder that the top job in a utility is judged by what customers and regulators see on the ground. India's own city water boards and power utilities face similar questions about pollution, service and investment as they grow.

Short-term: Shaw and Medalova will work together from November 2 until the end of the year, while the company responds to the regulator's downgrade.

Long-term: Medalova will be judged on whether she can lift the company's environmental rating and cut pollution incidents, using the shareholder money already committed.

Who is affected: Yorkshire Water's customers and staff, its shareholders, regulators such as the Environment Agency, and communities living near rivers in the region.

Questions and Answers