Fletcher had been in charge of the Kier utilities division for more than five years.

He will formally take from Dale Evans in January as director of Anglian Water’s @one Alliance.

The alliance was formed in 2004 as one of the industry’s first partnering deals.

The current 15-year deal started in 2015 with places for Balfour Beatty, Barhale, Mott McDonald Bentley, Stantec, Skanska and Sweco.

Peter Simpson, Chief Executive of Anglian Water, said: “Paul will oversee our largest alliance, which will be vital in delivering key projects for the rest of this investment period.

“Crucially, Paul will lead much of the capital delivery in our largest ever programme between 2020 to 2025 – a £6.5bn investment plan, nearly a third larger than ever before.

“He brings a wealth of leadership experience from the sector and specifically our current partner organisations, which will be essential in driving the alliance forward in this new era and meeting the unique challenges in the water sector and this part of the country.”

Fletcher said: “This is both a challenging and exciting time for the water sector.

“The political agenda coupled with these unique, local features mean the spotlight really will be on our engineering prowess and our ability to deliver quality infrastructure, excellent customer service and efficiencies to keep customer bills low.

“These challenges are a really exciting catalyst for change and I am delighted to be joining at this time, and am eager to lead the alliance through the next chapter in this forward-thinking organisation’s history.”