Luis Garcia is to step down as Bristol Water CEO after seven years in the job to rejoin international utility group Suez in a senior role.
Luis, pictured, has devoted his entire career to the water industry, most of it working for subsidiaries of Suez. 
The French-headquartered group owns Sociedad General de Aguas de Barcelona (Agbar), the Spanish water firm which has a 30% stake in Bristol Water.
He worked in a range of leadership roles at Agbar in South America and Spain before joining Bristol Water in 2009.
During his tenure at the Bedminster Down-based firm, which supplies water to around 1.2m people and businesses, it had a long-running battle with industry watchdog Ofwat over its prices.
He will leave Bristol Water after his successor is appointed to allow for an appropriate handover.
Chairman Keith Ludeman said: “We are grateful for all that Luis has achieved for Bristol Water, its customers, staff and all its stakeholders in his tenure and we wish him every success as he moves back to a senior role within the Suez group.
“Luis has led the Bristol Water team as it consistently became one of the top performing water companies for customer service. We will now find the right person to succeed him, build on his legacy and lead the business through the opportunities and challenges that the water industry faces over the years ahead.”
Luis Garcia said: “I am coming close to the end of my time running Bristol Water. It has been an amazing seven years and I am proud to have been part of what we have achieved. What has impressed me most in my time here is the amazing passion the team has for Bristol Water and delivering for its customers. This is the key to the company’s continued success.”
Bristol Water will now be conducting a recruitment process for a new CEO. In the meantime Luis will continue in his role.
Bristol Water provides 264m litres of drinking water a day via 6,700 kilometres of water mains to homes, businesses and other premises across an area of almost 2,400 sq km from Tetbury in the north to Street in the south and from Weston-super-Mare in the west to Frome in the east.
It is owned by Canadian utility giant Capstone Infrastructure Corporation (50%), Agbar (30%) and conglomerate Itochu Corporation of Japan (20%).
Photo of Luis Garcia by ©JonCraig.co.uk
