Get to Know the UKRN Team – Phil O’Donnell

Have you ever wondered who the UKRN team are? Well, it’s probably about time we introduced ourselves! Over the coming weeks, we will conclude our series that has shared insights into each of the eight UKRN team members. Each of our team members were asked to answer a few questions about themselves, UKRN and regulation of course!

In this article, we have our latest full time colleague – Phil O’Donnell!

  1. Tell me a bit about yourself

I’ve recently joined UKRN from the Payment Systems Regulator, where I’ve been for 4.5 years. My background is mostly in central government (i.e. the civil service), where I worked as an economist for over 10 years in various departments, including the Department for Business (through its many name changes, but currently DBT) and the Department of Energy & Climate Change (now DESNZ). I also worked briefly in economic consulting and investment banking, and more recently headed up an analysis & research team at Which?, the consumer group. I am married and live in South West London, and I spend my time outside work exercising (especially cycling, running and swimming – sometimes all three, in a triathlon!), travelling (my country count is currently at 54 and rising) or engaged in some music-related activity (going to gigs or festivals, writing or producing songs).

  1. What attracted you to UKRN?

I’d had some exposure to the work of UKRN in previous roles, and had spoken to previous secondees about their time at UKRN, which was all reassuringly positive! So when the secondment opportunity came around and seem to align well with my interests and skills, I decided to put myself forward. I currently lead our cost of capital work, which I find really interesting – it’s a highly technical subject (which gives me a chance to use my economics), but critically important for informing the price controls set by our member regulators.

  1. What achievement has given you the most pride in your career? And also in your time at UKRN?

I would say my work in the Department of Energy & Climate Change, where I led a team of analysts to put in place the legislative framework for pioneering auctions to help deliver both low-carbon generation and security of supply for electricity. It was a massive job and involved working very long hours, but it was a significant change for the sector and a novel approach, which has ultimately helped to decarbonise electricity generation and keep the lights on, at a lower cost to bill payers. I haven’t been at UKRN very long, so don’t have many highlights to pick from, but we’re working on some plans to support the publication of our next Annual Report for our Cost of Capital network, so watch this space!

  1. What 3 words best encapsulate regulation for you?

Evidence-led (I think it’s still only one, even though it’s hyphenated!), targeted, balanced

  1. What 3 words best describe you away from the day job?

Energetic, cheerful and…pedantic.

  1. What is your favourite film and why that choice?

I watch a lot of films, but I don’t know that I could single one out as a favourite. I am a bit of a sucker for animated movies, and I recently saw Migration, which I really enjoyed! Probably linked to my love of travel (see below!), but I thought it had some really funny moments, and a lovely message.

  1. What 3 countries/places have you enjoyed visiting the most and why?
  1. I go to France quite a lot; in particular Morzine, in the French Alps. It’s got some very fond memories for me, covering both summer (hiking, cycling) and winter (skiing, snowboarding), but a couple of summers ago I got married there, at a lovely building by the lake there (Lac du Montriond).
  2. I’d also pick out the Maldives, where we went on honeymoon and is the closest I’ve come to an island paradise – I didn’t think it could look as good as the postcards and photos, but it did! Given that it’s a destination that is massively impacted by climate change and rising sea levels, the island that we stayed on (Ellaidhoo) had some great sustainability initiatives to help minimise the environmental impact of being a tourist there.
  3. Finally, I would say Japan – I recently went there for the first time, and we only had two weeks to explore, but there was such a massive variety of places. As you might expect, we didn’t even get to see most of it, which means that there is plenty to explore for our next trip!
  1. What advice would you give to your younger self?

“You can’t please all of the people all of the time” – probably quite apt for working as a regulator too!

  1. When your career is nearing completion or you get to retire – what 3 words would you like your career to be remembered by?

Caring, honest and trusted

We really hope you enjoyed getting to know Phil more. Look out for our next featured team member shortly!