• Gareth Rhys Williams

    Chair

    Biography

    • Appointed Chair in April 2024
    • The UK Government Chief Commercial Officer since March 2016 and one of the Vice Presidents of Fauna & Flora International (FFI), the world’s oldest international conservation organisation, having previously served on the Council of FFI
    • Before joining the Civil Service, he was Chief Executive Officer of PHS Group, Charter International, Capital Safety Group Ltd, and Vitec Group plc
    • Prior to that he was running international businesses within Rexam and BPB
    • Qualifications include an MBA, a Trustee and Companion of the Chartered Management Institute, a Fellow of the UK’s Institute of Mechanical Engineers and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology

  • Nick Harris

    Chief Executive

    Biography

    • Appointed permanent Chief Executive in August 2021
    • Responsible for the day-to-day operational management of National Highways and the performance of our Executive team, and accountable to the Board for our company’s performance
    • Responsible, as Accounting Officer, for safeguarding the public funds held by our company and for ensuring propriety, regularity, value for money and efficiency in the handling and use of public funds
    • Career includes senior operational roles in water utilities across the UK and overseas
    • Qualifications include: CEng (Chartered Engineer); and MICE (Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers)

  • Scott Dale

    Chief Financial Officer

    Biography

    • Appointed March 2024
    • Career includes roles at Deloitte and Accenture in audit, corporate finance and consultancy, Finance Director roles in both the logistics and energy sector and significant large-scale operation roles
    • Career also includes Non-Executive Director roles for energy and charitable organisations, including for children’s mental health
    • Qualifications include: a degree in Economics from Liverpool University; Chartered Accountant; and Fellow of the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales)

  • Janette Beinart

    Non-Executive Director

    Biography

    • Appointed Non-Executive Director in January 2019
    • Background in information technology, with a long international career working for Shell, culminating as Global Upstream Chief Information Officer
    • Previous role in the savings and investment business as Interim Group Chief Information Officer for M&G Prudential
    • Non-Executive Director of the Cabinet Office and leads the public review of the DVLA
    • Qualifications include: a BA degree in Economics

  • Simon Blanchflower CBE

    Non-Executive Director

    Biography

    • Appointed Non-Executive Director in March 2023
    • Deputy Chair of the London Legacy Development Corporation, which is responsible for securing the legacy from the London 2012 Olympics, and chairs their Health, Safety & Security Committee and also their Investment Committee
    • Non-Executive Director of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation and the Global Centre of Rail Excellence
    • Formerly Chief Executive Officer of the East West Railway Company
    • Background in the rail sector, with a long career leading the development and delivery of major rail infrastructure projects, including being the Major Programme Director on the Thameslink programme
    • Qualifications include: a BSc Honours degree (1st class) in Civil Engineering; and FICE (Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers)

  • Kathryn Cearns OBE

    Non-Executive Director

    Biography

    • Appointed Non-Executive Director in April 2018 and appointed Senior Independent Non-Executive Director in July 2022
    • Member of DfT’s Group Audit and Risk Assurance Committee and, from February 2024, Non-Executive Director of DfT OLR Holdings (the Operator of Last Resort)
    • Chair of the Press Recognition Panel and Vice Chair of The Property Ombudsman
    • Qualifications include: FCA (Fellow Chartered Accountant); and FCCA (Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)

  • Sukhi Johal

    Non-Executive Director

    Biography

    • Appointed as the Shareholder Representative Non-Executive Director in June 2023
    • Joined UKGI in March 2021 from RSM UK, the provider of audit, tax and consulting services, as a Corporate Finance Partner
    • Over 20 years’ experience in corporate finance, split between advisory and corporate and investment banking, and spent time working on complex transactions in the UK and internationally
    • Currently leads on inward mergers and acquisitions at UKGI
    • Qualifications include: Associate Chartered Accountant (ASA), administered by the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales)

  • Elliot Shaw

    Chief Customer and Strategy Officer

    Biography

    • Appointed to our Executive team in September 2016, and appointed to the Board in January 2024
    • Responsible for the strategic development of our network, our organisational business improvement agenda, our analytical and economist functions, our relationships with key statutory and regulatory bodies, our customer service and our communications and corporate affairs activities
    • Career includes Transformation Director at the Ministry of Justice and a number of Senior Civil Service positions at the Ministry of Justice and DfT, with his early career spent as a management consultant at Accenture
    • Qualifications include: a BA in Economics and Politics; a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from Harvard University; and FCIHT (Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation)