We’ve appointed Jack Mumford-Turner to build a new advisory consulting capability in utilities. He brings more than a decade of experience in economic regulation and long-term investment strategy to the business as the water sector braces for its biggest regulatory overhaul in years.
Jack joins from Aqua Consultants, where he spent five and a half years advising regulated utilities on long-term investment planning. He has worked in the infrastructure and utilities sector since 2014, with 11 of those years focused specifically on water.
Helping utilities plan decades ahead
Jack’s work centres on helping asset-intensive, regulated organisations – chiefly water, gas and electricity companies, though increasingly rail and airports too – build the case for how they invest in ageing infrastructure whilst improving the environment. Rather than short-term fixes, his focus is on strategies spanning five, ten, even fifty years, ensuring customers get increasing value from the bills they pay.
A significant part of his recent career has been shaped by the Ofwat Price Review process, through which water companies submit justified and efficient five-year investment plans to the regulator for approval. Jack supported Northumbrian Water, the Pennon Group (South West Water, Bristol Water and Bournemouth Water), and Welsh Water through the PR24 price review, along with work for Thames Water, and has also advised National Grid and SSE Renewables on regulated strategy in the energy sector.
Building a new capability at Ridge
At Ridge, Jack is tasked with establishing an advisory consulting team from the ground up to help clients build robust, evidence-led business cases. He has already recruited his first team member, with further hires planned as the practice grows.
The part of my job I enjoy most is bringing experts together to build something genuinely useful. Every organisation has clever people who understand their piece of the puzzle, but they don't always get the chance to challenge each other's thinking. My role is to pull that expertise together into a cohesive piece of work that everyone has bought into - not something a consultant has written in isolation, but a case the whole business recognises as its own.”
Jack Mumford-Turner
Associate Partner, Project and Programme Delivery
Part of a wider infrastructure push
The appointment follows Ridge’s recent hire of Steve Williams as Head of Infrastructure, who joined earlier this year to lead the growing capability across transport, water, aviation and defence, building on the specialist expertise brought in through the acquisition of Adept Management. Jack’s arrival extends that momentum specifically into regulatory and economic advisory work, strengthening the breadth of expertise Ridge can offer infrastructure clients navigating investment decisions under increasing financial and regulatory pressure.
Responding to regulatory change
His arrival comes at a pivotal moment for the sector. Ofwat is expected to be dissolved in favour of a more regionally devolved supervisory regulatory model, with significant uncertainty ahead of the next price review submission in three years. It’s an area Jack expects to be central to his work at Ridge.
Jack brings exactly the kind of regulatory expertise and strategic thinking our clients need as the sector heads into a period of real change. His experience across some of the industry's most significant investment programmes will be a real asset as we grow our advisory offer.”
Bobby Brown
Head of Water
