Thames Water restructures after marketing head quits

RWE-owned utility company Thames Water is to integrate its sales and marketing function with communications following the departure of sales and marketing director Julie Walls.

It is the third time in less than two years that the water company has rejigged the divisions.

It is not known whether Walls’ departure is the result of job cuts announced at the end of last month. The company aims to reduce its workforce by 25%.

Walls has left the utility company less than a year after taking up the mantle of marketing chief. She took over responsibility for sales and marketing after John Evans left last year.

Evans has been handed responsibility for sales and marketing at Thames Water after Mike Moran’s role at RWE as worldwide director of marketing and strategy was axed in 2004.

Moran, a former Toyota marketer, has just set up his own agency called The Automotive Partnership (MW last week).

Thames Water last week outlined plans to build a 1bn reservoir in Oxfordshire to meet increasing demand. The proposed reservoir would supply an extra 350m litres a day to the Thames Water network.

But this would still be less than half the estimated 900m litres the company loses each day through leaky pipes. According to industry regulator Ofwat, the company is the worst offender for leaks. Earlier this year it escaped a fine by pledging to spend 150m on fixing leaks.

The company has also embarked on a consumer advertising campaign during the summer to encourage consumers to use less water (MW March 23).