Centrica set to name US head British Gas boss
A NEW head of British Gas is set to be installed by parent company Centrica as soon as today, with the firm’s US executive Chris Weston widely tipped to be taking over, it emerged last night.
Weston is currently head of Centrica’s US gas retail business Direct Energy.
He is set to replace outgoing managing director Phil Bentley, who is stepping down after six years in charge of the UK’s biggest energy retailer for customers.
The move would be a return to British Gas for the 48-year old, who served in the British Army for seven years and holds a PhD in quantitative finance from Imperial College, London.
He was managing director of British Gas Services, which offers boiler repair services and insurance services, from 2005 until moving across to Centrica, having joined the business in 2002 from OneTel.
Bentley has led the FTSE 100 company as managing director since 2007, having joined in 2000 as finance director.
The change at the top of one of Britain’s main energy providers comes at a time of upheaval in the energy sector, with the industry coming under the political spotlight and rapid changes to US energy markets.
Earlier this month Centrica scrapped plans to build new nuclear power stations in Britain with French partner EDF .