Chairman and part owner of Welsh rugby region Dragons RFC, David Buttress, has been appointed chief executive of energy supply giant OVO. Mr Buttress, a former chief executive of Just Eat, will take up his new role with OVO, which has four million customers, in May.

The former pupil of Croesyceiliog Comprehensive School, started his career with Coca-Cola Enterprises before co-founding e-commerce giant Just Eat, which under this watch listed and became a multi-billion-pound business on market capitalisation.

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He said: “OVO was energy’s first challenger brand and I want us to continue in that spirit, with a determination and passion to give customers a world class experience.

“Busy families need suppliers of all kinds to display a high degree of empathy and consideration for what they need in their lives. I believe we can provide the right service, products and experiences needed to meet that demand and more.

“I’ll be focused on getting things right for the people we serve, and I’m excited to join the team and get started. Together we will build the energy company our customers need, not only for the demands of today, but also for the products and services for our customers tomorrow.”

Non-executive chair of Bristol headquartered OVO and former chief executive of Sainsbury’s Justin King, who took up his role last month said: “David knows retail and he knows what consumers want. His instinct changed the food delivery market for the better. Now he has the opportunity to deliver for millions of UK households in energy, bringing compassion and collaboration, two of his hallmarks. He’s the perfect fit for OVO, leading our outstanding team as we enter our next chapter.”

OVO is backed by Mayfair Equity Partners, Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Mitsubishi Corporation.

Managing partner of Mayfair Equity Partners, Daniel Sasaki,said: “David’s success at Just Eat and his other board roles has shown him to be a pioneer of digital disruption, something we are also proud of at OVO. His reputation for driving exceptional results through collaborative leadership is exactly what we need to fuel the next stage of OVO’s development, and we are pleased to welcome him as CEO.”

Mr Buttress became chair and a minority owner of Dragons RFC in 2017. Last year, with fellow investors David Wright and Hoyoung Huh, he finalised a deal to take the club private and out of WRU majority control.

He will succeed Raman Bhatia as chief executive of OVO who is standing down after four years in the role. OVO employs 5,000.