• 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 until July 2024
    • Non-Executive Director at National Grid Electricity Distribution from 1 April 2025
    • Led 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 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)

  • Sukhi Johal

    Non-Executive Director

    Biography

    • Appointed as Shareholder Representative Non-Executive Director in June 2023
    • Prior to joining UKGI in March 2021, Sukhi was a Corporate Finance Partner at RSM UK advising company shareholders, management teams and boards to achieve their strategic objectives through acquisitions, private equity investment, debt fund raising and exit
    • Over 25 years’ experience post qualification in corporate finance split between advisory and banking. Sukhi has advised clients and central government departments across a range of complex UK and international transactions
    • Currently leads UKGI’s work on Inward Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Qualified as an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) member of the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales)

  • Manny Lewis

    Non-Executive Director

    Biography

    • Appointed Non-Executive Director in March 2025
    • Background in change management, organisational development, service redesign, urban regeneration, executive coaching and partnership working, having held a number of senior leadership roles across the public sector and local government, including as Managing Director for Watford Borough Council and Chief Executive of the London Development Agency
    • Currently Non-Executive Director and Chair of the People Committee at the Civil Aviation Authority
    • Qualifications include: an LLB Honours Degree, Honorary Doctor of Business Administration and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

  • Kim Shillinglaw

    Non-Executive Director

    Biography

    • Appointed Non-Executive Director in February 2025
    • Background in the media and creative industry, with over 30 years’ experience across the media industry and having been a former Controller of BBC Two and BBC Four
    • Kim is an existing Non-Executive Director and board member of organisations including Natural England, Ofcom, the Natural Environment Research Council, Raspberry Pi Foundation, and previously, of Engineering UK and NESTA
    • Qualifications include: A degree in History (University of Oxford)

  • Rob Whiteman CBE

    Non-Executive Director

    Biography

    • Appointed Non-Executive Director in January 2025
    • Background in the public sector, with extensive risk and audit experience. In local government he was Director of Resources at the London Borough of Lewisham, before becoming Chief Executive of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council. Formerly Managing Director of the local government Improvement & Development Agency (IDeA) and Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency. Between 2013 and June 2024, he was Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).
    • Chair of University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
    • Chair of the Housing & Finance Institute
    • Member of the Finance & Investment Committee and Council Member, Queen Mary University of London
    • Qualifications include: CPFA (Chartered Public Finance Accountant) 

  • Simon Wills

    Non-Executive Director

    Biography

    • Appointed Non-Executive Director in February 2025
    • Background in the energy sector, having held a variety of commercial and operational roles within British Gas and latterly Centrica, both in the UK and Europe
    • Currently Chair at B&D Energy and a Non-Executive Director for the Oil and Pipelines Agency and the ThamesWey Group
    • Qualifications include: a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering and Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

  • 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)