New practice will extend Klarus’ senior-led consulting model to energy and utilities businesses to turn AI ambition into tangible outcomes
Klarus, a specialist technology consultancy focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), has appointed industry veteran Stephen Haw to lead its newly formed Energy & Utilities practice. The appointment and practice launch accelerate Klarus’ work across energy retail, energy networks and water, enabling clients to respond to growing market pressures and leverage technologies, data and AI to deliver measurable results.
Stephen brings more than 25 years’ experience as a senior consulting partner, with proven expertise across the entire energy value chain. Most recently, he was a Senior Partner, Energy & Utilities, at EY in MENA, collaborating on strategy, operating models and large-scale transformations. He was also Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting, where he led the firm’s Business Transformation and Energy practices across MENA, and spent over a decade at Baringa, including as Partner, Energy & Utilities. He began his career as a civil engineer, working in industry with Balfour Beatty before moving into consulting.
With a career spanning the UK, Europe and the Middle East, Stephen understands regional market structures and has a track record in hands-on delivery across the technical, operational and commercial domains. He has led an advanced data science and machine learning programme optimising capital and operational asset performance for a major Gulf utility, driven the adoption of core operational technologies in power and water utilities including advanced distribution management systems, smart metering and work and asset management, and delivered divestment and acquisition programmes for distribution businesses.
Klarus’ increased focus on the sector comes as energy retailers face record consumer debt, thin margins and sustained affordability pressure, while networks and water companies plan and justify the largest capital programmes in a generation. Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, has approved a £104bn upgrade for the water sector to 2030, while Britain’s energy regulator Ofgem has opened RIIO-3, its third five-year price control framework, with electricity transmission investment alone estimated at around £70bn to 2031.
AI has the potential to help retailers manage cost pressures and networks and water companies plan capital expenditure effectively. However, the need for explainability, governance and the justification of investment to regulators and customers is intensifying.
Klarus provides a senior-led expert network coupled with curated AI solutions to shift AI from pilots to a driver of ROI. In his new role, Stephen will establish Klarus’ Energy & Utilities practice and deploy its consulting model to deliver real, practical outcomes.
Frank O’Dea, CEO of Klarus, said: “Stephen’s appointment is an important step in our growth as a business and expansion into energy and utilities. He brings deep sector expertise, with an international perspective, and has built a strong reputation for leading from the front, driving growth and delivering results for clients. As the sector faces some major challenges, Stephen will work closely with clients to help them leverage technology, data and AI, moving beyond advice, theory and pilots to deliver tangible results and real value.”
Stephen added: “AI is dismantling the consulting pyramid and there is a huge opportunity to build a firm around senior people that have actually done the work. Sector expertise cannot be commoditised and clients need advisers and implementers who look ahead, have clear points of view and deliver. That is what drew me to Klarus. Energy and utilities don’t need more experimentation. Having run these programmes myself, what they need is to know where technology and AI solve real business problems and how to deploy them responsibly. Ultimately, outcomes have to stand up to customer and regulatory scrutiny.
