Yorkshire Water chief Nicola Shaw steps down after downgrade
Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 30 Oct, 08:34 · Archive
Yorkshire Water's chief executive Nicola Shaw is stepping down after the company received the lowest environmental rating from the Environment Agency.
Yorkshire Water's chief executive Nicola Shaw has announced she is stepping down, effective 1 January. The resignation comes one day after the Environment Agency downgraded the company to a one-star rating, the lowest possible environmental classification.
Shaw, who has led the firm since 2022, said in a statement on Friday that it had been a "privilege" to lead Yorkshire Water and that it was "the right time" to leave. She will be replaced by Nicola Medalova, a chartered environmental health officer who was previously chief operating officer of National Grid New England. Medalova will join the company on 2 November before formally assuming the chief executive role in the new year.
The Environment Agency's downgrade reflects significant environmental failures. Yorkshire Water was responsible for 260 pollution incidents in 2025, up from 151 the previous year—a rise of more than 70 per cent and the highest total since 2011. The one-star rating means the company is automatically blocked from giving bonuses to senior managers under rules introduced last year.
Shaw has faced scrutiny in recent years. In 2024, the regulator Ofwat fined Yorkshire Water £47m for historic sewage leaks. The BBC reported that Shaw took £1.3m in undisclosed payments between 2023 and 2025. A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said the company's environmental performance last year was "not good enough and we understand that customers will be disappointed by this result".
Yorkshire Water's chair Jon Lewis thanked Shaw for her contribution, noting that under her leadership the company secured £500m in new shareholder equity, with a further £600m committed, to fund what he described as the largest investment programme in the company's history.
How it is being reported
- Yorkshire Water CEO Nicola Shaw steps down after nearly 5 yearsThe chief executive of Yorkshire Water, Nicola Shaw, has stepped down.York Press · 30 Oct, 08:05
- Yorkshire Water CEO Nicola Shaw steps down after nearly 5 yearsThe chief executive of Yorkshire Water, Nicola Shaw, has stepped down.Gazette & Herald (Malton) · 30 Oct, 08:05
- Yorkshire Water boss resigns after firm downgradedNicola Shaw, who has led the company since 2022, will step down in January, it is announced.BBC York And North Yorkshire · 30 Oct, 07:54
In this story: Nicola Shaw · Nicola Medalova · Yorkshire Water · Environment Agency · National Grid New England · Ofwat · Jon Lewis · Yorkshire
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