Utilita Owner Recruits Vodafone and British Gas Veteran as Tech Boss

Georgina Owens starts at Luxion Group on 7 April, tasked with turning the company’s internal technology into a commercial product. The appointment comes as the energy group’s chief executive acknowledges his industry faces “an increasingly challenging” retail environment.

Owens arrives with credentials spanning telecoms, utilities, and streaming media. British Gas, Vodafone, DAZN, WPP, William Hill, and Ola UK all feature on her CV. Most recently, she consulted for a government organisation and an infrastructure firm, overseeing what Luxion described as “significant technology transformation programmes.”

Now she’ll lead commercialisation efforts for Luxion’s proprietary systems, working through Procode—the group’s technology arm. That means selling software and digital tools externally, not just building them for internal use. It’s a revenue play as much as a tech strategy.

Bill Bullen founded Luxion and runs it as chief executive. His company owns Utilita Energy, the prepayment-focused supplier that has built its reputation on smart meter adoption and app-based customer service. “We are thrilled to welcome Georgina Owens to our executive leadership team,” Bullen said. “With her deep expertise and extensive experience in leading technology functions and successfully managing complex programme delivery across diverse industries, I am confident she will play a crucial role in advancing our growth ambitions and building on our strong history of delivering innovative solutions to our customers.”

The hire reflects broader tensions in UK energy retail. Margins remain squeezed following the price cap volatility that destroyed dozens of suppliers between 2021 and 2022. Survivors like Utilita now compete against well-funded rivals with strong technology offerings—Octopus Energy has turned its Kraken platform into a licensing business, whilst OVO and British Gas have pushed into smart home services.

Owens acknowledged that backdrop directly. “I am delighted to join Luxion Group, which has always seen the value of tech as a critical differentiator across its brands, at such an exciting stage in its growth journey,” she said. “The opportunity to further commercialise proprietary technology and enhance Luxion’s reputation for boldness in customer-centric innovation is one I am relishing.”

Her priorities include Utilita’s smartphone app, which has won industry awards and handles account management for customers who predominantly use prepayment meters. “I am especially excited about developing and advancing Utilita’s award-winning smartphone app – a key pillar of its already outstanding customer experience – and helping the business stay ahead of the tech curve, even while operating in an increasingly challenging energy retail space,” Owens said. “I can’t wait to get started.”

That app focus matters for retention. Prepayment customers switch suppliers less frequently than direct debit users, but they demand frictionless top-up experiences and real-time usage data. Utilita has bet heavily on making that experience seamless through mobile technology.

Owens brings recognition beyond her corporate roles. She holds UK CIO Top 100 and Global CIO 200 honours, speaks regularly at industry events, and advocates for women in technology leadership. Her consulting work before joining Luxion gave her exposure to both public sector and private infrastructure projects—experience that could prove valuable as energy suppliers navigate regulatory change and grid modernisation.

Procode represents the less visible side of Luxion’s ambitions. Whilst Utilita operates in the public eye, serving households across the UK, Procode builds software and digital solutions that Luxion hopes other organisations will buy. Owens will oversee both the continuing modernisation of internal systems and the external commercialisation push.

Luxion Group also owns Canary Care, which produces connected care technology for independent living. That diversification beyond pure energy supply suggests Bullen sees technology platforms as the thread connecting disparate businesses—hence the need for a heavyweight CTO.

The appointment arrives just after the first quarter of 2025, positioning Owens to influence strategic planning for the year ahead. Her 7 April start date gives her three weeks to assess systems before the end of the financial quarter for many UK businesses.

Whether Procode’s technology can generate meaningful external revenue remains unproven. Energy suppliers have built countless internal tools over the past decade, but few have successfully commercialised them beyond their own operations. Octopus Energy stands as the notable exception, licensing its Kraken platform to suppliers in multiple countries and generating tens of millions in software revenue.

For Owens, the role represents a shift from consulting flexibility to executive accountability. For Luxion, it signals an intent to compete not just on tariffs and customer service, but on the quality and commercial potential of its technology infrastructure. The energy retail pressures Owens mentioned won’t ease in 2025. Her ability to turn proprietary systems into revenue generators could determine whether Luxion thrives or merely survives the squeeze.