Dorothy Thompson, the chief executive of Drax, has transformed the business from one that was reliant on coal for power Paul Rogers for The TimesDorothy Thompson, one of a handful of female chief executives to run a large UK-listed company, is to step down as chief executive of the power giant Drax after 12 years in charge. Ms Thompson, who helped to steer the FTSE250-listed operator of Britain’s biggest coal-fired power station towards a future based on renewable energy, will leave the company at the end of the year. Will Gardiner, currently chief financial officer, will take over as chief executive from January 1. Drax, which generates about 7 per cent of UK electricity and runs a coal and biomass-fired power plant near Selby in North Yorkshire, said it was seeking a replacement for Mr Gardiner, who joined the board in 2015. He was formerly chief financial officer at…

Source: The Times September 21, 2017 11:03 UTC