Just (H)eat. David Buttress to take over as Ovo Energy CEO

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Nicky Godding

David Buttress OVO

Former CEO at Just Eat Plc and Just Eat UK, entrepreneur and investor David Buttress is taking over as CEO of Bristol-based energy supplier Ovo Energy after incumbent Raman Bhatia announced his move earlier this month to become CEO of Starling Bank.

David describes himself as an entirely customer focused leader, urging his teams to consider the experiences of every customer as if they were a friend. His collaborative leadership style and willingness to speak up for consumers created a strong working culture at Just Eat and was noted by the UK government when it appointed him as their Cost of Living Business Tsar in 2022.

He is welcomed by Justin King CBE who joined OVO as Chair of the Board in March. Both leaders arrive at a pivotal time of growth and expansion for OVO, which serves four million UK customers with home energy and green technologies such as smart EV charging and heat pumps.

David describes his appointment at OVO as an “incredible opportunity to create a world class customer experience for millions of UK customers”, following the brand’s acquisition of SSE’s retail arm and migration of its UK customers to the OVO platform.

David said: “OVO was energy’s first challenger brand and I want us to continue in that spirit, with a determination and passion to give customers a world class experience.

“Busy families need suppliers of all kinds to display a high degree of empathy and consideration for what they need in their lives. I believe we can provide the right service, products and experiences needed to meet that demand and more.

“I’ll be focused on getting things right for the people we serve, and I’m excited to join the team and get started. Together we will build the energy company our customers need, not only for the demands of today, but also for the products and services for our customers tomorrow.”

Justin King CBE, non-executive Chair of the OVO Board, said: “David knows retail and he knows what consumers want. His instinct changed the food delivery market for the better. Now he has the opportunity to deliver for millions of UK households in energy, bringing compassion and collaboration, two of his hallmarks. He’s the perfect fit for OVO, leading our outstanding team as we enter our next chapter.”

Daniel Sasaki, Managing Partner at Mayfair Equity Partners, said: “David’s success at Just Eat and his other board roles has shown him to be a pioneer of digital disruption, something we are also proud of at OVO. His reputation for driving exceptional results through collaborative leadership is exactly what we need to fuel the next stage of OVO’s development, and we are pleased to welcome him as CEO.”

David is passionate about Welsh rugby, as an active member of the Professional Rugby Board at the Welsh Rugby Union, he also Chairs and owns the Dragons Rugby club in Newport, playing an integral role in Welsh rugby’s drive to engage with the local community.

Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe. After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts. She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.