A structure for regulators to consider common issues and policy projects

Networks

At the UKRN we strive to deliver excellence through collaboration and our core activity of running member networks, provides the forum to connect people in similar professions, or work on common topics.  Sharing and developing best practice, they often deliver projects and programmes of activity.

Governance

CEOs
SRG
Principals

Advisory

Chairs
Network Chairs
Expert Panel

Professional Networks

Climate Change1
Comms Directors2
COOs1
Corporate Governance
Cost of Capital Directors2
Cyber Security
Data Strategy
Digital Comms
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
HR Directors7
Lawyers
Next Generation NED Scheme
Regulatory Supervisors
Research
Strategist
Vulnerability1
Young Professionals

As a member-led organisation UKRN strive to deliver excellence through collaboration.  Our core activity of running professional networks achieves this by;

  • promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing
  • championing effective regulation
  • delivering efficiencies and shared objectives
UKRN Director and Team
UKRN Director and Team

Governance

CEOs
SRG
Principals

Advisory

Chairs
Network Chairs
Expert Panel

Professional Networks

Climate Change1
Comms Directors2
COOs1
Corporate Governance
Cost of Capital Directors2
Cyber Security
Data Strategy
Digital Comms
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
HR Directors7
Lawyers
Next Generation NED Scheme
Regulatory Supervisors
Research
Strategist
Vulnerability1
Young Professionals

As a member-led organisation UKRN strive to deliver excellence through collaboration.  Our core activity of running professional networks achieves this by;

  • promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing
  • championing effective regulation
  • delivering efficiencies and shared objectives

CEOs

Objectives

  • Governance, leads on the strategic direction of the UKRN.

Frequency

Quarterly, of which two per year are joint with UKCN

Network chair

Attricia Archer

UKRN lead

Charley Grady-Pearce

SRG

Objectives

  • Governance, provides senior input and steer on UKRN strategic direction.  Main decision-making group for UKRN.

Frequency

Quarterly

Network chair

Richard Edes (TPR)

UKRN lead

Charley Grady-Pearce

Chairs

Objectives

  • Critical friend to CEOs and the UKRN team, providing high level strategic input.

Frequency

Quarterly

Network chair

Nicola Wood MBE (ICO)

UKRN lead

Barbara Perata-Smith

Network Chairs

Objectives

  • Identifying areas where future collaboration across networks could deliver valuable outcomes.
  • Information sharing across networks with emphasis on collaboration in key focus areas.
  • Ensuring deliverables and key priorities for each network are aligned with UKRN 3-year work plan.
  • To support UKRN in monitoring and reporting on progress against the 3-year workplan, including outcomes measurement.

Frequency

Yearly

UKRN lead

Makedah Simpson

Expert Panel

Objectives

  • The UKRN Expert panel consists of four independent advisors who hold expertise in different fields (see members here)
  • The Expert Panel advises the CEOs groups and also provides feedback and challenge to the project teams.

Frequency

Quarterly

UKRN lead

Attricia Archer

Principals

Objectives

  • Keep UKRN Principals informed and updated on work of UKRN and across other regulators.
  • Provide a preview of upcoming senior rep and CEO’s discussion. Information flow function.
  • Forum for cross sector shared learning and best practice, an L&D element to the meeting.

Frequency

Quarterly

Network chair

Paola Crosetta (PSR)

UKRN lead

Kevin Smith

Climate Change1

Objectives

  • To understand and support implementation of efficient investment in climate mitigation, fair transition to Net Zero and informed decision making by regulators

Frequency

Every 2 months

UKRN lead

Barbara Perata-Smith

Net Zero Cost & Investment Working Group

Objectives

  • To understand consumer costs and what regulators can do to support a just transition.  To consider the optimal (least cost) investment, how and when to facilitate investment and to support transition to net zero.

Frequency

Every 2 months
(in advance oc Climate Change Network)

Network chair

Bronwyn Fraser

Comms Directors2

Objectives

  • To share expertise, understanding and best practice on internal and external comms strategies and on trends in the wider profession

Frequency

Quarterly

Network chair

Simon Redfern (Ofcom)
Angela Balakrishnan (ICO)

UKRN lead

Kevin Smith

COOs1

Objectives

  • Sharing information and best practice across Corporate Services at COO level
  • Provide senior steer on COO-related topics (e.g. HR and estates, Finance, procurement, operational processes, D&I)

Frequency

Monthly

Network chair

Attricia Archer (UKRN)

UKRN lead

Nicole Trinder

Corporate Governance

The Corporate Governance Network is intended to bring together those senior leaders across UKRN  members, with responsibility for corporate governance and company secretariat functions.

The network exists to provide members with a network of peers, with whom they can:

  1. Discuss matters of common interest in a “safe space” and co-ordinate activity (where appropriate)
  2. Share knowledge, experiences, and “best practice”; and
  3. Explore up opportunities for development for their respective teams and colleagues.

Frequency

Quarterly

Network chair

William Hague (FCA)

UKRN lead

Charley Grady-Pearce

Cost of Capital Directors2

Objectives

  • Governance for Cost of Capital projects, task force deliverables and finance and investment workstreams.
  • Maintain strategic focus and optimise opportunities with cohesive response to increase voice within Government channels and sector.

Network chair

Andrew Chesworth (Ofwat)

UKRN lead

Philip O’Donnell

Cost of Capital Working Group

Objectives

  • Shared learnings and best practice
  • Transparency in WACC decisions
  • Publishing Cost of Capital Annual Report

Frequency

Monthly

Network chair

Chris Connor (Ofgem)

UKRN lead

Philip O’Donnell

Cost of Capital (Taskforce)

Objectives

  • Working towards greater consistency, and a common methodology for the WACC when setting price controls.

Frequency

2022: Bi-Weekly
2023 onwards: as required

Network chair

Andrew Chesworth (Ofwat)

UKRN lead

Philip O’Donnell

Cyber Security

Objectives

  • Shared best practice, specialist recruitment, NIS and implementation

Frequency

Every 2 months

Network chair

Interim Chair: Barnaby Burch (CAA)

UKRN lead

Kevin Smith

Data Strategy

Objectives

  • To share data strategies, best practice and explore opportunities to understand how data is recorded and responsibly shared across regulator

Frequency

Every 2 months

Network chair

David McKeever (ICO) and Amanda Hall (RSH)

UKRN lead

Makedah Simpson

Digital Comms

Objectives

  • To share expertise, understanding and best practice on digital comms

Frequency

Every 2 months

Network chair

Neil Gregory (FCA)

UKRN lead

Kevin Smith

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Objectives

  • Sharing best practice and lessons learned
  • Supporting each other on individual ED&I matters, especially smaller regulators

Frequency

Every 2 months

Network chair

Luke Hargreaves (FCA)

UKRN lead

Makedah Simpson

IT Directors

Objectives

  • information sharing on strategic direction and challenges
  • sharing operating models and sourcing models
  • horizon scanning
  • AI developments/regulation

Frequency

Monthly

Network chair

Caroline Gregory (Ofwat)

UKRN lead

Nicole Trinder

Cost of Living Working Group

UKRN has been working closely together with five of our members, who form the ‘Cost of Living Working Group’ (a sub-group to the Vulnerability Network);

  1. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
  2. Ofcom
  3. Ofwat
  4. Ofgem
  5. Utility Regulator (NI)

This working group aims to collaborate ensuring respective sectors are supporting customers in financial difficulty, recognising that consumers are dealing with multiple payments, across multiple regulated sectors, which can create additional burden.

UKRN lead

Makedah Simpson

Media Heads

Established in March 2024, the aim of the group is to share best practice, through the discussion of members’ notable campaigns and media work and to discuss the topics that are priorities for UKRN media teams.

Frequency

Quarterly

Network chair

Dave Murphy (ICO)

UKRN lead

Kevin Smith

Public Affairs

Established in March 2024, this forum was established to enable members to share experience, expertise, best practice and learnings from notable campaigns and media responses.

The meeting format rotates on a monthly basis:

  • networking round table
  • focused deep dive meeting

Frequency

Monthly

Network chair

Jane Morford (PSR)

UKRN lead

Charley Grady-Pearce

HR Directors7

Objectives

  • To share learning and good practice across People Directors
  • Discuss HR infrastructure, workforce planning and resource sharing
  • Transformation functions, including cultural change /change management
  • Take the lead on associated working groups

Frequency

Monthly

Network chair

Siobhan Sheridan (FCA)

UKRN lead

Philip O’Donnell

Wellbeing Working Group

Objectives

  • To discuss programs and interventions in place across our members, that support positive mental health and physical wellbeing.

 

Frequency

Quarterly

Network chair

Alison Davies (Ofgem)

UKRN lead

Nicole Trinder

Pay and Reward

Objectives

  • To discuss pay and reward benefits across member regulators, to assist with benchmarking and possibly sharing consultancy costs in relation to development of pay and reward strategies.

Frequency

Every 6 weeks

Network chair

Tony Sborgia (Ofgem)

UKRN lead

Nicole Trinder

Hybrid Working

Objectives

  • Discuss hybrid working plans across members.
  • Updates on government advice.
  • Office re-configurations and successful onboarding

Frequency

Monthly

Network chair

Hannah Blythman-Sanders (CAA)

UKRN lead

Nicole Trinder

Resourcing

Objectives

  • Connecting on opportunities for collaboration and sharing resourcing strategies and programme of works.
  • Explore creative ways to remain competitive and to attract more diverse talent.

Frequency

Every 2 months

Network chair

Patricia Holgate (CAA)

UKRN lead

Nicole Trinder

Learning & Organisational Development

Objectives

  • Increase collaboration across learning and organisational development professionals.
  • Share learning and development opportunities that will benefit all colleagues.

Frequency

Every 6 weeks

Network chair

Marion Martin (Ofgem)

UKRN lead

Nicole Trinder

Early Careers

Objectives

  • Sharing early careers strategies across members
  • D&I initiatives within early careers
  • Look at the impact of emerging technology on early careers development
  • Future skills and talent assessment
  • Strategic workforce planning

Frequency

Every 2 months

Network chair

Julia Ariadna-Datta (Ofgem)

UKRN lead

Philip O’Donnell

Shared Training

Objectives

  • To advertise, share learning and costs across member regulators.
  • To share costs of learning initiatives.
  • To work towards further development of learning initiatives that benefit all member regulators.

UKRN lead

Nicole Trinder

Lawyers

Objectives

  • Forum for generating discussions and understanding legal implications for certain projects / work

Frequency

Every 2 months

Network chair

Jennifer Bruce (FCA)

UKRN lead

Barbara Perata-Smith

Next Generation NED Scheme

The network group responsible for the delivery of this scheme, which offers opportunities for colleagues from within the UKRN membership to join a Community of Interest or participate in a Placement Programme.

Our objective: build a diverse pipeline of people who will become future NEDs, bringing a rich mix of thinking style, perspective and innovative ideas.

To find out more about our scheme HERE  or you can email us: NGN_UKRN@caa.co.uk

Frequency

Annual Programme

UKRN lead

Phillip O’Donnell / Makedah Simpson / Kevin Smith

Regulatory Supervisors

Objectives

The Regulatory Supervisors Forum (the Forum) is intended to bring together those senior leaders across UKRN members, with responsibility for supervisory or relationship management functions.

  • The Forum exists to provide members with a network of peers, with whom they can:
    • Discuss matters of common interest in a “safe space” and co-ordinate activity (where appropriate)
    • Share approaches, knowledge, experiences, and best practice; and
    • Explore opportunities for development for their respective teams and colleagues.

Frequency

Quarterly

Network chair

Nicola Coates (PSR)

UKRN lead

Kevin Smith

Research

Objectives

  • Forum for members to share experience, expertise and findings of Consumer Research, including behavioural research, relevant to the themes and priority areas identified in the forward workplan.

Frequency

Every 2 months

Network chair

Margaret Watmough (FCA)

UKRN lead

Barbara Perata-Smith

Strategist

Objectives

  • To assess the external environment, compare strategies and horizon scanning

Frequency

Quarterly

Network chair

Paddy Johnson (ORR)

UKRN lead

Barbara Perata-Smith

Vulnerability1

Objectives

  • Share best practice, lessons learned and insights on emerging vulnerability issues
  • Identify and collaborate to address common challenges / opportunities
  • Deliver specific UKRN vulnerability projects (as set out in workplan and ad hoc ones)
  • Members act as main contact on vulnerability issues, provide expertise and feedback

Frequency

Every 4-6 weeks

Network chair

Andrew Lincoln (Ofwat)
Sinead Dynan (UregNI)

UKRN lead

Makedah Simpson

Young Professionals

Objectives

Network is run by, and targeted at, young professionals at member regulators (‘young professional’ is self-defined)

  • Facilitate the sharing of information and ideas between young professionals of member regulators
  • Provide young professionals with advice and opportunities relevant to their career development, sense of community.

Frequency

6-8 weeks

Network chair

Niamh NiShuilleabhain (Ofcom) and
Emma Haxell (PSR)

UKRN lead

Makedah Simpson