Olivia Garfield BA (Hons)

Appointed: Chief Executive on 11 April 2014

Membership: Executive Committee, Disclosure Committee

Olivia (Liv) brings to the Board a wealth of experience managing customer service delivery and complex infrastructure and organisations in a regulated environment.  Before joining Severn Trent, Liv was Chief Executive Officer of Openreach, part of the BT Group, where she spearheaded and oversaw the commercial roll-out of fibre broadband to two-thirds of the country.  She joined BT in 2002 and held the pivotal roles of Group Director of Strategy and Regulation, Managing Director Commercial and Brands, Global Services and UK Customer Services Director.  From 1998 to 2002, Liv worked for Accenture as a consultant in the Communications and High-Tech Market Unit, designing and implementing business change solutions across a number of industry sectors.

In October 2020, Liv was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the water industry.

Other Roles:

• Non-Executive Director of Water UK
• Non-Executive Director of Brookfield Asset Management Limited

• Director of Water Plus Limited – joint venture with United Utilities
• Chair of the Council for Sustainable Business
• Member of the Takeover Panel, and its Hearings Committee and Nomination Committee

• Member of the UK Investment Council
• Member of The 30% Club