Amanda Phillips
United Utilities

Amanda has worked within the water industry and United Utilities (UU) for 18 years.  Her career at UU started as a secretary and since then has worked her way around the organisation gaining knowledge and experience via roles in colleagueengagement and colleague communications.  In May 2017, her career took a change in direction when she made the move into customer services, with a particular interest in customers living in vulnerable circumstances.  This led to her progression, securing the position as the company’s first Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Manager in July 2023.

During her work promoting the benefits of signing up to UU’s customer Priority Services Register (working and creating partnerships with many charities and organisations from around the region, using expert knowledge and advice in helping to endorse the scheme to customers in the North West), she gained extensive experience on peoples diversities and how with the right support, everyone can receive a level of care supportive of their needs, leading to the first water company to share customer vulnerability data with an energy supplier, plus securing UU’s place as one of the first water companies to achieve British Standards ISO22458:2022 in Consumer Vulnerability.

Over the past three years, this confidence in the benefits of true inclusion has beeninterpreted into processes and policies at UU, now benefitting its 7,000 colleagues.  Her interest and curiosity also extends to innovative new ideas and how those ideas, no matter how small, can help colleagues that need that bit of extra help whilst at work, enabling UUto offer the best customer service it can, now and into the future.

Her work has also included the creation of the company’s second ‘Opportunity for All’ Report published on its corporate website. Highlighting the company’s goals and commitments in equity, diversity and inclusion.

Building on a year of external recognition, in 2025, United Utilities were ranked 4th on the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers list for the second year running, the only water company in the top 50 and the highest-ranking utility company, which reflects the continuedcommitment in fostering a truly inclusive culture.