Centrica appoints Group Director Human Resources

Centrica plc is pleased to announce that Jill Shedden is to be appointed as Group Director Human Resources for the company, effective 1st July 2011.

Centrica plc is pleased to announce that Jill Shedden is to be appointed as Group Director Human Resources for the company, effective 1st July 2011. She is currently HR Director for Centrica Energy and will succeed Anne Minto OBE following Anne's retirement in July 2011.

Ms Shedden joined Centrica as a graduate in 1988 and has since held a number of HR roles within the group. She has a strong reputation for building high performing teams in the businesses that she has helped to lead; bringing British Gas Business (BGB) to profitability, turning around customer service in British Gas Residential and successfully integrating Venture Production into Centrica Energy.

Ms Shedden is recognised for her focus on employee engagement which she led firstly as HR Director in BGB, gaining Centrica's first placement in the Financial Times' Great Places to Work accreditation, a success which she has repeated in both British Gas Energy and Centrica Energy.

Commenting on the appointment, Sam Laidlaw, Chief Executive Centrica plc said: "I am particularly pleased that we have been able to promote another of our talented leaders to the executive team and demonstrate that we are developing a strong succession pipeline in Centrica."

Anne Minto will retire from her role this summer after almost nine years with Centrica as Group Director Human Resources and member of the Centrica Executive Committee. She will continue with her role as a non-executive director and chairman of the Remuneration Committee at Shire Pharmaceuticals plc..

Mr Laidlaw added: "Anne's ability to seek out and encourage individuals to take on challenging leadership roles has been at the heart of our success in building a great company and helping us to earn a recognised external reputation as an ‘Employer of Choice'."

Jill Shedden will take up her new Group role on 1st July, reporting to Chief Executive, Sam Laidlaw and will also join the Centrica Executive Committee.