Published: September 06, 2005
Scottish Power PLC announces Corporate Restructuring
Corporate restructuring, GBP60m annualised cost savings, Board Changes
Following a review of its operating structure and functions, the Board of
ScottishPower today announced a significant corporate restructuring that will
result in annualised cost savings of GBP60m a year. This will be achieved by
ceasing a wide range of reporting, regulatory and management functions
previously required by the ownership of PacifiCorp and by simplifying the
management structures of the continuing operations and corporate functions.
The restructuring will take place during the course of the current financial
year and will give rise to an exceptional charge of GBP35m. There will be some
benefits from the cost reduction programme in this current financial year with
the full savings of GBP60m in the following year and thereafter.
As a consequence of the restructuring there will be a number of changes to the
Board and the senior management team. Charles Berry's role as Executive Director
of the UK Division and David Nish's role as Executive Director of the
Infrastructure Division will no longer exist and both of these executives will
be leaving the company with immediate effect. Judi Johansen, CEO of PacifiCorp,
will continue on the Board until the sale of PacifiCorp is complete. As a
consequence of the restructuring of the corporate functions, Dominic Fry,
currently Corporate Communications Director, and Mike Pittman, currently Group
Human Resources Director, will be leaving the Company with immediate effect.
Ian Russell, Chief Executive, said:
"Once we had made the strategic decision to sell PacifiCorp, which changes
significantly the shape and scale of the group, it was necessary to review our
management, operating and cost structures for the continuing businesses. The
changes announced today and the resultant savings arise from stopping a range of
activities previously required by our ownership of PacifiCorp and by simplifying
the structure of the group. Following these changes the direct focus of the
management will now be on delivering to our shareholders the benefits of further
operating improvements, our GBP4.5bn investment programme, and seizing the
opportunities for further sustainable growth.
"The Board and I are very conscious that these necessary changes will have an
effect on many of our colleagues within the organisation. In particular a number
of senior colleagues on the Board and Executive Team will be leaving as a
consequence of these structural changes. We would like to express our sincere
thanks for all their work, the significant contribution they have each
individually made to ScottishPower over the years, and wish them every success
in the future."
Details of corporate restructuring
Following the decision to sell PacifiCorp, ScottishPower is now focused on the
continued growth and development of its UK operations and continued growth of
PPM Energy in the US. These combined continuing businesses have grown their
profits by 38% over the two years to March 2005.
There are substantial opportunities for their further development and a GBP4.5bn
investment programme, allied to continuing improvements in operating
performance, will underpin future growth across all of these businesses. This
restructuring introduces an operating structure that reflects the new shape and
scale of the group post PacifiCorp. It also puts operating management at the
centre of the business and delivers essential support functions in a cost
efficient manner.
The cost savings announced today will come principally from two sources:
First, the ownership and management of PacifiCorp imposed operational and
reporting requirements on ScottishPower. As a consequence of the sale, cost
savings are achievable from the reduction of functions that support the
ownership of PacifiCorp. These will no longer be required and the cessation of a
wide range of managerial and regulatory activities will release substantial
savings.
Secondly, there will also be a substantial change to the organisational
structure of the UK businesses, designed to drive performance through reduced
layers of management, the achievement of further efficiencies, and the
consolidation of shared support functions.
The continuing businesses in the UK will be Energy Networks, Energy Retail and
Energy Wholesale, and in the US, PPM Energy. The heads of each of these four
businesses will report directly to the Chief Executive.
They will also become members of the main operating forum of the group, the
Executive Team, together with three functional heads who will lead the shared
support services, namely Finance and Strategy; Legal, Secretariat and
Commercial; and, Human Resources and Communications. In addition, Ronnie Mercer,
Executive Vice President of PacifiCorp Operations will remain on the Executive
Team until the sale of PacifiCorp is complete, at which point it is expected
that he will retire.
The new Executive Team will now be:
-Ian Russell, Chief Executive
-Simon Lowth, Finance and Strategy
-Terry Hudgens, PPM Energy
-David Rutherford, Energy Networks
-Willie MacDiarmid, Energy Retail
-John Campbell, Energy Wholesale
-Ronnie Mercer, PacifiCorp Operations
-James Stanley, Legal, Secretariat and Commercial
-Stephen Dunn, Human Resources and Communications
Contact Details
Jennifer Lawton Head of Investor Relations 0141 636 4527
Simon McMillan UK Media Relations Manager 0141 566 4875
NOTE FOR READERS:
Energy Networks - (formerly Infrastructure Division)
Three wholly-owned subsidiaries of SPUK - SP Transmission Ltd, SP Distribution
Ltd and SP Manweb plc - are the "asset owner companies" holding the group's UK
regulated assets and transmission and distribution licences. A further
wholly-owned subsidiary of SPUK - SP Power Systems Ltd ("PowerSystems") -
provides management expertise and conducts the day to day operation of the
networks.
The asset-owner companies act as an integrated business unit to concentrate
divisional expertise on regulatory issues and investment strategy. PowerSystems
implements work programmes commissioned by and agreed with the asset-owner
business.
In 2004/05 operating profit for the Infrastructure Division was GBP416.3m
Energy Retail and Energy Wholesale - (formerly UK Division)
Energy Retail
Scottish Power Energy Retail is the gas and electricity supply company and
holder of the group's supply licences, manages pricing, selling, billing and
receipting for gas and electricity supply to both business and domestic
customers and deals with enquiries arising in the course of this business.
Included within Energy Retail is SP Dataserve Ltd, which is the data management
and metering company, managing the data processes that underpin customer
registration through billing and settlement.
The group has over 5.1m customers in the UK.
Energy Wholesale
This division now includes ScottishPower Energy Management that is responsible
for the commercial running of the power stations, including the scheduling and
fuel purchasing, managing retail economics and pricing, and for managing
commodity risk through buying and selling wholesale energy via ScottishPower
Energy Management (Agency).
Within the Energy Wholesale portfolio will also be ScottishPower Generation
Limited, which owns and operates the group's 6,200MW of power station and other
generation assets in the British Isles and holds the group's generation licence.
The Strategic Transactions business develops the group's position in renewable
generation and other aspects of the emerging market for environmental
instruments through selected investment in plant and gas storage facilities, as
well, as building and commissioning wind farms in the British Isles.
In total the UK Division combined operating profit in 2004/05 was GBP175.6m.
PPM Energy
PPM Energy is the group's fast growing competitive US energy business, with
operating assets in ten US states and in Canada. Its diverse portfolio, focus on
wind power and moderate risk approach all position PPM Energy for expected
earnings growth. The business is growing through a strategic focus on clean
energy: concentrating on renewable power, natural gas storage and hub services;
and gas-fired generation.
In 2004/05 its operating profit was GBP58.1m.
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