SSE plc announced that, following a competitive recruitment process supported by an external executive search firm, Barry O'Regan will be appointed as Chief Financial Officer and as an Executive Director of SSE plc, effective 1 December 2023. Barry will also join SSE's Group Executive Committee from the same date. Outgoing incumbent Finance Director Gregor Alexander will step down from the Board on the same date, before retiring and leaving SSE at the end of March 2024 after an orderly transition.

Barry O'Regan is currently Finance Director of SSE Renewables as well as having responsibility for corporate finance across the whole of SSE Plc. Barry trained as a chartered accountant with PWC in Dublin before joining Airtricity in 2005, and subsequently the SSE Group in 2008. With nearly 20 years' experience working in the energy sector, Barry has a wealth of knowledge across financial control, corporate finance and M&A, treasury, reporting and operational finance.

He also has detailed experience of working with SSE's credit rating agencies. He has been integral to the strategic refocusing of the Company over the last decade and has led the execution of many acquisitions and divestments, including SSE's international expansion, as well as contributing significantly to establishing SSE Renewables and its subsequent strategic progress. Gregor Alexander, who joined SSE at its inception in 1998 and has been Finance Director since 2002, will continue in his positions as Chair of SSE Transmission's Board and as a director on the Board of Neos Networks Limited, SSE's joint venture with Infracapital Partners.

The transition will also include transferring Gregor's current responsibilities for SSE's IT and General Counsel teams to the Chief Executive, and Procurement to the Chief Commercial Officer, resulting in Barry holding a more traditional CFO role.