Vodafone UK’s corporate and external affairs director Justine Campbell has switched from telecoms to energy, taking on the general counsel (GC) role at British Gas after a revamp of its senior legal team. She will join the company in December after having handed her notice in last month.
The GC title was phased out at British Gas following Melanie Rowland’s departure for Edwards Group last year, since when legal director Jane Forster has headed the legal and compliance function.Forster left the company in May and Campbell has been brought in to take up the reinstated GC role, heading a team of around 60.
Grant Dawson has been GC and company secretary of parent company Centrica since its demerger from British Gas in February 1997, and will continue to oversee the parent company’s legal function.
Campbell’s new position signals her first move out of the telecoms sector, having held roles at Telefonica, O2 and BT. At Vodafone UK, she led a team of 150 and was responsible for the company’s legal regulatory, compliance, government affairs and security matters.
Although Rosemary Martin is Vodafone’s group general counsel, while at Vodafone Campbell led a restructuring that saw the creation of five legal teams: property; dispute resolution and employment; enterprise; consumer; and technology.
British Gas does not have a formal panel, although the company regularly turns to Linklaters and Slaughter and May for external legal advice.
david.stevenson@legalease.co.uk
