Liv Garfield
Olivia Garfield | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 10, 1975 Harrogate, England |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Known for | CEO of Severn Trent, former CEO of Openreach |
Olivia Ruth Garfield (born 10 September 1975) is a prominent British executive who has served as the chief executive officer of Severn Trent since April 2014. Prior to this, she was at the helm of Openreach, a division within BT Group, from 2011 until 2014.
Early life
Garfield was brought up in Harrogate, where her parents operate a project management and engineering business. Her education included time at Birklands Belmont School in Birstwith followed by the independent Bootham School located in York. She pursued studies in German and French at New Hall, Cambridge, now known as Murray Edwards College.
Career
Following her university education, Garfield spent a year working at the British Consulate in Brussels. She then dedicated six years to consulting within Accenture’s communications and high-tech sector.
BT
Garfield joined BT in January 2003 as general manager, overseeing a team focused on desk-based sales. Subsequently, she advanced to become BT’s director responsible for strategy and regulatory affairs. On 1 April 2011, she assumed the role of chief executive for Openreach, which had been established in 2006. During her leadership, she directed the £2.5 billion expansion of fibre broadband services (BT Infinity) reaching approximately two-thirds of the UK population. However, in March 2017, BT faced a record £42 million fine from Ofcom due to delays in Ethernet service delivery between 2013 and 2014 while she was CEO. Fortune Magazine acknowledged her rapid corporate ascent by naming her among the world’s fastest rising stars in 2013 and ranked her as the 14th Most Powerful Woman across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in 2014.
Severn Trent
Garfield took on the position of chief executive at Severn Trent in April 2014. Under her guidance, Severn Trent Water Purification was sold to the Italian company DeNora in July 2015, a process that included workforce reductions. Later, in November 2017, the company revealed intentions to divest surplus land holdings.
By May 2018, she held distinction as the youngest female CEO within the FTSE 100 Index. In recognition of her contributions to the water sector, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) during the 2020 Birthday Honours. This accolade came despite Severn Trent’s sewer overflows discharging a cumulative total equivalent to 64 years’ worth of spills into waterways. In 2021, some testimony she provided was characterized as "disingenuous" by the parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee.
Her remuneration for the fiscal year 2023-24 was reported at £3.2 million in May 2024, which included a bonus payment of £584,000.
Other
In February 2013, Garfield joined Tesco’s board as a non-executive director but resigned from this role in February 2015.
She was honored with the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award in May 2018.
Personal life
Garfield is married and has two sons. She is also an avid supporter of Everton F.C.
See also
- Andrew Duff (businessman), Chairman of Severn Trent since July 2010 and former Chairman of RWE npower (2003–2009)
- Véronique Laury, CEO of Kingfisher plc since February 2015
- Moya Greene, CEO of the Royal Mail starting July 2010
- Dame Carolyn McCall, CEO of EasyJet since 2010