Islands Energy Group CEO quits unexpectedly
ISLANDS Energy Group’s CEO has unexpectedly stepped down from her post to pursue a ‘new opportunity’.
Jo Cox had been chief executive officer of the company since July 2021.
Formerly known within the island as Guernsey Gas, the company supplies energy to homes and business within the three Crown Dependencies.
Aidan Baglow, managing director of Isle of Man Energy, part of the group, has taken over as interim group CEO with immediate effect.
Mr Baglow joined Isle of Man Energy in 2008 and is based in that island.
He is described as highly experienced gas industry professional having worked in gas operations, project management and technical lead roles for more than 36 years.
‘Jo has successfully managed the group through a challenging period within the energy sector,’ said Mr Baglow.
‘We wish her well in her new venture.’
Ms Cox was formerly the managing director at Calvin Capital and also worked for international energy company Centrica. Between 2014 to 2016 she was chief operating officer at Sure in the islands.
In her role as CEO she oversaw a turbulent few years for the gas company, which coincided with the Russian invasion of Ukraine that led to a spike in the price of wholesale gas.
Ten people died in a suspected gas explosion at a block of flats in Jersey in December 2022, and investigations into the cause of the blast are still continuing.
And last October there was a gas outage in Jersey which left some people without heating or hot water for up to a fortnight. A technical fault cut supplies to up to 4,000 islanders.
The company offered a ‘goodwill gesture’ of £11.56 to all customers affected, which was widely derided. The Jersey Consumer Council has said that it is still working with lawyers to attempt to recover costs incurred by residents and businesses.
