Centrica Hires Former IoD Man to Head Comms Research

In the UK, oil and gas production and power generation company Centrica Energy has appointed former IoD Senior Economic Advisor Corin Taylor as Head of Communications Research.

Part of the Centrica group, Centrica Energy is an international business operating in the UK, Europe, North America, and Trinidad and Tobago, sourcing, generating, processing and trading in oil, gas and power, and investing in both traditional and new energy sources.

Taylor (pictured) joins from the Institute of Directors (IoD), where as Senior Economic Advisor in the Policy Unit he focused on economic taxation and public service reform issues. Prior to this, he sat on the Economic Dependency working group at the Centre for Social Justice, served as the Research Director at pressure group the TaxPayers' Alliance, and was Political Secretary to the Tax Reform Commission.

Taylor is also an advocate of shale gas production, describing it in a recent report as 'a new North Sea for Britain' - and Centrica now has an interest in the area after taking a 25% stake earlier this year in fracking firm Cuadrilla's Lancashire Bowland exploration licence.

When he takes up his new role next month, Taylor will report to Corporate Affairs Director Gabe Winn, who comments: 'We've been focusing on building a team of some of the best people in the industry, and I'm really excited to be welcoming Corin to join us. He knows energy back to front, and has the rare ability to mix strategic analysis with understanding people and communications.'

Web site: www.centrica.com .