Zoë Yujnovich

Zoë Yujnovich is a prominent international business leader with a distinguished career spanning the energy and natural resources sectors. She became Chief Executive of National Grid in November 2025, taking responsibility for a major energy networks business with operations across the United Kingdom, the United States and European energy markets.

Yujnovich’s career began in engineering at Rio Tinto, where she developed a strong technical and operational foundation within the global natural resources industry. Her early experience as an engineer provided her with practical knowledge of large-scale industrial operations and helped establish the technical and leadership skills that would shape her later career.

She subsequently moved to Shell, where she held a number of senior leadership positions and developed extensive experience across the international energy industry. During her time at Shell, Yujnovich led the company’s global Integrated Gas and Upstream businesses. These roles involved responsibility for complex international operations, commercial activities and large-scale energy portfolios. She also served on Shell’s Executive Committee, placing her among the company’s senior leadership team and giving her experience in strategic decision-making at a global level.

Her appointment as Chief Executive of National Grid represents the continuation of a career focused on large and complex energy businesses. At National Grid, her role encompasses leadership of an organisation that plays an important part in energy infrastructure and networks across several major markets. The company operates energy networks in the UK and the US, while its activities are connected to wider developments in European energy markets.

Yujnovich brings a combination of engineering expertise, operational management, commercial experience and international leadership to her position. This breadth of experience has developed through senior roles involving major businesses, geographically diverse operations and the changing requirements of the global energy sector.

Her professional background is particularly relevant to the evolving energy landscape, where infrastructure, investment, reliability and the transition toward lower-carbon energy systems are increasingly interconnected. Her experience across engineering, operations and executive leadership provides a broad perspective on the challenges facing large energy organisations.

As Chief Executive of National Grid, Yujnovich leads the company during an important period for energy networks and infrastructure. Her responsibilities include overseeing a major international business while working within an industry undergoing significant technological, commercial and structural change. Her career to date reflects a progression from engineering and operational roles to senior executive leadership within some of the world's largest energy and natural resources organisations.