Hannah Nixon joins Defence’s Single Source Regulations Office

The Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin, has appointed a new Chair for the Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO), which provides independent, expert leadership in the regulation of single source defence contracts.

Hannah Nixon will assume the post on 3 January 2022. Hannah also holds non-executive director positions at the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), Thames Water, the National Grid Electricity System Operator (NGESO).

Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin said:

I am delighted to welcome Hannah Nixon to the SSRO. The SSRO has a vital role to play working with the MOD and the Defence industry – a role becoming all the more important under the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy.

SSRO Chief Executive, Neil Swift welcomed the new appointment:

I very much look forward to working with Hannah in her new role as Chair of the SSRO. The SSRO will benefit from having a Chair with the experience to lead the Board in driving forward our improvement agenda.

Hannah has widespread experience in economics and regulation across a range of industries. She was the first CEO of the Payment Systems Regulator, the economic regulator of the UK’s £80 trillion payments industry, responsible for driving competition and innovation in the interests of consumers. Hannah was also a senior partner at Ofgem, where she had responsibility for the networks division. Until recently Hannah was also a NED of the Jersey Competition and Regulatory Authority.

The SSRO was founded under the Defence Reform Act in 2014. It is the independent statutory regulator of single source defence procurement, issuing statutory guidance, recommending the baseline profit rate and monitoring the application of the regime.

On her appointment, Hannah Nixon said:

I am looking forward to joining the SSRO. This is an important time for the organisation, as it supports the government’s drive to deliver value for money in defence procurement whilst ensuring a fair price is paid, enabling an economically strong defence industry in the UK.