Our board and directors
Biographies of our board the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (GEMA), and Senior Executive Committee directors.
Board members
Mark McAllister
Mark McAllister was appointed as chair of our board in November 2023 for 5 years.
Mark was previously Chair of the Office for Nuclear Regulation and served on the Management Committee of the Public Chairs Forum. He has held several executive positions in the energy industry and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Technology in 2009 for services to the oil industry.
He has held a number of non-executive roles in the charity sector and is currently the Chair of Oasis Charitable Trust.
Jonathan Brearley
Jonathan Brearley has been our chief executive officer since February 2020 and was reappointed as in 2025 for a further 5 years. He is an executive member of our board and was previously our Director for Systems and Networks.
He has wide-ranging energy industry and climate change experience, including as Executive Director of the Office of Climate Change where he led the development of the Climate Change Act, and leading the electricity market reform as the Director for Energy Markets and Networks at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
Alena Kozakova
Alena Kozakova was appointed to our board in November 2023 for 5 years. She currently co-leads the London practice of E.CA Economics.
Alena has significant experience in competition and economic regulation, as well as policy making and consumer protection.
She was previously Chief Economist at Ofwat. She has also worked for the Competition Commission (now known as the Competition and Markets Authority), the Office of Fair Trading, and the Directorate General for Competition at the European Commission.
Barry Panayi
Barry Panayi was appointed to our board in March 2020 for 5 years. This was extended for a further 2 years in 2025. He is currently the Chief Data and Insight Officer for John Lewis.
Barry specialises in data and digital transformation. He has led data, insight and digital teams in organisations such as Ernst & Young, Bupa, Virgin and Lloyds Banking Group.
He champions the power of data and has worked on numerous initiatives across both private and public sectors as well as promoting the importance of digital skills in our society.
Graham Mather
Graham Mather was appointed to our board in November 2023 for 5 years. He is currently president of the Infrastructure Forum.
Graham has experience in competition, regulation, law and economics. He was previously a non-executive director for Ofcom and the Office of Rail and Road and was also a member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission and the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
In 2017, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to economic regulation, competition and infrastructure development.
Jonathan Kini
Jonathan Kini was appointed to our board in November 2023 for 5 years. He is currently a non-executive director for Ofwat. He is also the CEO of a telecommunications startup testing new broadband technology.
Jonathan previously worked as a Director for Virgin Media and Vodafone, Managing Director of TalkTalk Consumer and Enterprise Division and at Drax Plc as CEO of its retail businesses. He has held advisory roles at the Bank of England and is currently an advisor at Rebalance Earth.
Nick Winser
Nick Winser was appointed to our board in April 2025. He is the UK’s first Electricity Networks Commissioner, providing independent recommendations to accelerate the deployment of electricity transmission infrastructure.
Nick is a Clean Power 2030 Commissioner, Senior Independent Director at Greencoat UK Wind, and was previously chair of Energy Systems Catapult, serving on their board for over 9 years.
With over 30 years of experience in the electricity networks field, he has been instrumental in advising both government and industry on energy policy.
Tony Curzon Price
Tony Curzon Price was appointed to our board in November 2023 for 5 years. He is currently a policy associate at Nesta and the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Tony is an economist with interests in technology, energy, environment and economic regulation, and has been involved in UK energy and environment policy for over 30 years. As a technology and media entrepreneur, Tony spent 4 years in Silicon Valley.
He has previously been an advisor in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Cabinet Office, Number 10, the Competition and Markets Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority.
Warren Buckley
Warren Buckley was appointed to our board in November 2023 for a term of 5 years. He is currently the chair of our People and Remuneration Committee and is also a member of the Financial Ombudsman Service board.
Warren was previously chair of National Citizens Advice, having served on their board for over 10 years. He was also the chair of the Business Disability Forum.
In the last 30 years, he has had customer service leadership roles in both the corporate and charity sector. This includes leading large service delivery and retail teams at companies such as Vodafone, Orange, BT, Openreach, HSBC and Thames Water.
Senior Executive Committee members
Jonathan Brearley
Jonathan Brearley has been our chief executive officer since February 2020 and was reappointed in 2025 for a further 5 years. He is an executive member of our board and was previously our Director for Systems and Networks.
Jonathan has wide-ranging energy industry and climate change experience, including as Executive Director of the Office of Climate Change where he led the development of the Climate Change Act, and leading the electricity market reform as the Director for Energy Markets and Networks at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
Akshay Kaul
Akshay Kaul joined Ofgem in 2017. He is the Director General for Infrastructure. His department leads on energy systems and network regulation for nuclear power, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, long duration energy storage and interconnection, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
Before joining Ofgem, Akshay was on secondment from HM Treasury, where he worked for 5 years, to Transport for London. He had an early career in investment banking, financial services and project finance.
Melinda Johnson
Melinda Johnson joined Ofgem in August 2023. She is currently the Chief Operating Officer and a non-executive director of the British Quality Foundation and GS1 UK. Her main priorities are to improve the corporate services that enable our regulatory activities and delivery of environmental and social schemes.
Before joining Ofgem, Melinda was the commercial director for the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Transport, and the deputy finance and commercial director for the Department for Education. She has had a 17-year career in commercial roles in the broader public and private sectors before joining the civil service.
Neil Kenward
Neil Kenward joined Ofgem in April 2020. He is currently the Executive Director of Strategy, Economics, Research and Net Zero. His directorate identifies our strategic priorities, provides analysis and insight to inform decisions on these, as well as work with the government to achieve these.
Before joining Ofgem, Neil was Head of Energy and Environmental Policy and Spending at HM Treasury for 5 years. He has had a range of energy, economic, and strategy roles across the UK government and private sector including working in Tony Blair’s Strategy Unit and running the Foreign Office economics network.
Neil Lawrence
Neil Lawrence joined Ofgem in July 2021. He is currently the Director of Delivery and Schemes. His directorate administers 12 low carbon energy and social schemes with an annual value of £12 billion, delivering on the government's ambitions for tackling fuel poverty and advancing decarbonisation.
Before joining Ofgem, Neil spent 9 years at Deloitte providing professional services to clients across the energy and resources sector. His career started in the energy sector working for integrated energy companies.
Priya Brahmbhatt-Patel
Priya Brahmbhatt-Patel joined Ofgem in January 2021 as Executive Director of Communications and Engagement. Her directorate covers all areas of corporate affairs, including strategic communications, media relations and public affairs, stakeholder engagement, and the digital channels.
Before joining Ofgem, Priya was a Director and Deputy Director at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Department for Culture Media and Sports and Department for Business Energy, and Industry Strategy. She has over 20 years of experience in communications across government, regulation and politics.
Sinead Murray
Sinead Murray joined Ofgem in 2021 as General Counsel. Her priorities are making sure legal and governance services run in a way that helps us meet our objectives whilst protecting consumers’ interests and helping to achieve net zero. She also jointly sponsors Ofgem’s EnAble network.
Sinead was previously a Director at the Government Legal Department, Legal Director at Department for Business Energy, and Industry Strategy and Director of Personal Tax and Corporate Services at HMRC.
Her early career led on projects such as the Olympic Bid, setting up the UK Border Agency, and advising on international criminal matters.
Tim Jarvis
Tim Jarvis joined Ofgem in September 2023. He is currently the Director General for Markets. His Group works to ensure fair pricing and high customer service standards, whilst driving improved financial resilience and investability across the retail sector. We use our monitoring and enforcement powers to drive improved behaviours, performance and outcomes.
Before joining Ofgem, Tim was a director at HM Treasury. He has previously worked for the Department for Business Energy, and Industry Strategy and Competition and Markets Authority. Tim has more than 25 years’ experience working in public policy and regulation, leading market investigations, price control reviews, and merger inquiries.