By Karim Hammam
Yorkshire Water chief executive Nicola Shaw has announced she will step down on 1 January, a day after the Environment Agency gave the company its lowest possible environmental rating of one star out of four.
Environment Agency Rating Triggers Departure
The agency classified Yorkshire Water as a "poorly performing company" following 260 pollution incidents in 2025, the highest total since 2011. The downgrade came 24 hours before Shaw's resignation announcement.
Replacement Named
Nicola Medalova, a chartered environmental health officer who previously worked for National Grid, will join the company on Monday for a transition period before assuming the chief executive role full time in the new year.
Criticism Over Pay and Performance
Shaw faced criticism for receiving £1.3m in undisclosed shareholder-funded payments between 2023 and 2025. In December she acknowledged that not being transparent about the payments had been a "mistake."
Pollution Incidents and Fines
In 2024, regulator Ofwat fined Yorkshire Water £47m for historic sewage leaks. The company has come under increasing scrutiny for its environmental performance.
