National Grid plc has announced the appointment of Jacqui Ferguson as an independent non-executive director with effect from the new year. Ferguson will take a seat on its audit & risk committee.

Currently chair of Tesco Bank and senior independent director and chair of the remuneration committee of Croda International plc, Ferguson is also deputy chair of Engineering UK (a charity focused on the engineering and technology skills agenda).

She is also chair of the remuneration committee and a non-executive director at John Wood Group, but will step down from its board in May.

In her executive career, Ferguson held several significant roles at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, including SVP and MD. Prior to this, she was director of EMEA strategic business planning at Electronic Data Systems.

Paula Rosput Reynolds, chair of National Grid, said: “As National Grid continues to invest in support of the energy transition, Jacqui’s varied professional background will make her an invaluable adviser to our organisation. She hails from a digital company that went through transformation, has experience in energy development and engineering, and is known for her collaborative style in the boardroom.”

Ferguson will also take on the role of non-executive director of IT infrastructure company Softcat plc in January.