Aurora Utilities Limited has named Gregor Alexander as the Group’s first Chair of the Board, effective March 2025.
Since joining SSE Group in 1990, which is the largest renewable energy generator in the UK, Gregor has been instrumental in leading a number of major transactions and investments for the Group. His extensive knowledge and experience of financial markets, shareholder and stakeholder views, and non-financial reporting saw him drive the company’s growth strategy and imbed sustainability practices at all levels.
Gregor held the role of Finance Director at SSE, and was on the Group’s board for more than 20 years, before retiring from the board in November 2023. Prior to this role, he held a number of senior finance roles and led specialist teams at Scottish Hydro Electric.
He brings a wealth of experience to the role at Aurora, and in addition to his SSE board role, he held a number of board-level positions which included Chair of SGN from 2011 to 2022, and holding a Non-Executive Director position at Stagecoach Group, the UK’s largest bus and coach operator, from 2013 to 2022.
Today, Gregor holds the position of Non-Executive Director of NEOS Networks, a British B2B telecoms provider, and he is Chair of SSEN Transmission, the company responsible for maintaining and investing in the electricity transmission network in the North of Scotland.
In July 2024, I Squared, a leading independent global infrastructure investment manager, announced it had invested $200 million through its Energy Transition Fund to scale Aurora into a large owner of grid infrastructure required to enable the electrification of the UK energy system towards a net zero future.
CEO of Aurora, Simon Reilly, said: “Over the course of Gregor’s impressive career he has proven himself to be a visionary when it comes to driving business growth in a sustainable and purpose-led way. His experience within the UK’s energy infrastructure sector is exceptional, and his track record for steering companies on a path to profitability, whilst staying true to their values, positions him as the ideal industry leader to chair our board. At Aurora, we are building a market-leading business that is committed to supporting the UK’s net zero targets, Gregor’s stewardship will allow us to continue our mission and accelerate our growth to new heights.”
Gregor has developed particularly strong expertise in sustainability issues, providing the companies he supports with insight and strategic direction on areas across environmental protection, social responsibility, and economic viability. During his time at SSE, he supported the Group set comprehensive carbon targets, which align with the 2016 Paris Agreement and are validated by The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Furthermore, he is a Chartered Accountant and was a founding member in 2013 of The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project CFO Leadership Network, which published guides to help the finance and accounting community address the practical issues of integrating sustainability into their business processes and decisions.
Having been responsibility for more than 25 major M&A deals with extensive exposure to dealing with investment banks and major legal firms, as well as raising diverse and innovative debt financing, Gregor also brings key learnings and knowledge of business stakeholders and the regulatory landscape.
Commenting on his appointment, Gregor said: “Aurora has clear growth potential and is a business rooted in sustainability within its core proposition and values. The business already has in place a high-calibre team, particularly strong leadership, and capital from a progressive, industry-leading infrastructure investor, so it was an easy decision to join. This is the ideal time to drive momentum in the IDNO market as the UK’s net zero targets draw closer, and Aurora plays a critical role in the transition to low carbon solutions. I look forward to serving the board as Chairperson as Aurora embarks on its next stage of growth.”
