Clare Spottiswoode, the former UK gas industry regulator, is leaving Enron less than six months after she joined the US energy group. She was helping the company to develop its global water interests.
Ms Spottiswoode will next month join PA Consulting Group, the London-based management and technology consultants.
She will be responsible for developing the company's growing continental European utilities interests, particularly in the energy sector.
Although working for PA Consulting, Ms Spottiswoode will be available to work for Azurix, the water division of Enron, which last year paid £1.36bn for Wessex Water, the south-west England water company.
There had been suggestions that Ms Spottiswoode might have felt constrained working within a corporate culture under Rebecca Mark, Azurix's Texan chief executive, who, like the former regulator, is a strong character.
Azurix and Ms Spottiswoode said yesterday that her decision to leave had been agreed amicably.
The former gas regulator said: 'I enjoyed working with the people at Azurix and look forward to the challenge of continuing to help them develop their water business.
'PA, however, offered me the scope to use my skills for a wider range of companies and sectors. The progressive liberalisation of European Union electricity and gas markets will provide some exciting opportunities.'
Under an EU directive triggered last Friday, industrial and commercial customers using more than 40,000MWh of power a year will be allowed to take power from another supplier other than their current regional or national monopoly electricity company.
The new rules affect about 26% of the EU's electricity supply market. European gas markets start opening for competition next year.
But there may be some eyebrows raised that Ms Spottiswoode is returning to the energy sector so soon after completing her stint as UK gas regulator, which ended last October.
Ms Spottiswoode said that she would not take on work if potential conflicts of interests were involved and would take soundings from the UK gas industry if there was concern that this possibility might arise.
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