About

Team size: 265
Major law firms used: Allen & Overy, Ashurst, Eversheds Sutherland, Norton Rose Fulbright, Slaughter and May

The long-serving GC of Centrica, Grant Dawson, has been one of the most prominent names in the in-house community for many years. In late 2018, however, he announced he was set to retire after more than two decades in the role.

Dawson was appointed GC and company secretary following Centrica’s demerger from British Gas in 1997, and has spent most of his career in the energy sector. He led an in-house team of 200 staff and was regularly cited for his work transforming the company from UK gas supplier to an international energy player. Dawson was also a member of Centrica’s executive committee and was on the board since joining the company in 1996.

Group chief executive Iain Conn praised Dawson’s ‘significant contribution’ to the company in December last year: ‘He has seen the company through a number of price controls and regulatory uncertainty over the years, and has also played a key role in all the major portfolio developments of the group.’

Dawson retires on 31 March, and will be replaced by deputy GC, Justine Campbell, who will also sit on the board. Campbell is herself highly rated, having joined from Vodafone in 2013 as GC of the British Gas business, before becoming Dawson’s deputy in 2017.

Centrica recorded turnover of £28bn in 2017, with more than 25 million customer accounts and over 33,000 employees.