Mohammed Saddiq appointed HM Lord-Lieutenant of the County of Somerset

Mohammed Saddiq DL has been appointed by Her Majesty The Queen as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County of Somerset. The appointment will be effective from 29 October 2022 upon the retirement of Annie Maw CVO, the current Lord-Lieutenant.

A member of SMV since 2017, Mohammed is Executive Director of Operations for Wessex Water, where he has worked for over 20 years, including spending 10 years as the founding Director of GENeco, a multi-award winning green energy business.

Mohammed holds an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science from the University of the West of England in recognition for his ongoing work to enhance the sustainable development of Bristol. On a global scale, his work in environmental sustainability has been recognised by the Institute of Chemical Engineers, winning the Global Award for Sustainability; and the Guardian Sustainable Business Award in 2017.

At a local level, Mohammed is a keen advocate of business getting involved with communities to help address issues of inequality and social mobility. In 2021 he set up Bristol Future Talent Partnership CIC, working with local businesses, schools, colleges and universities to provide work experience and mentoring support to students from black and minority ethnic communities.

With an extensive list of charitable interests, Mohammed is also the deputy chair of the University of Bristol Board of Trustees, independent chair of the Bristol Green Capital Partnership CIC, trustee at Penny Brohn Cancer Care, vice chair at Montpellier High School, non-executive director at Industrial Phycology and a former board member at the Local Enterprise Partnership.

Mohammed is an Associate Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers, Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Chartered Member of the Institution of Environmental Sciences.

For SMV, Mohammed is a member of the Standing Committee and Membership Committee, where he is working on strategies to help develop SMV’s membership to be more diverse and reflective of the region, and to direct support towards those communities most in need.

The role of the Lord-Lieutenant is to support the Monarch and the Royal Family by representing the Sovereign in the county. Essentially non-political, the Lord-Lieutenant has a varied role in the community, of which the ceremonial aspect is only one part. Above all, the Lieutenancy aims to connect people, organisations and social networks so that those who live and work within the county have a sense of belonging and social inclusion.