Our governance

The main decision-making, executive and managerial bodies at High Speed Two (HS2) Limited.


Board

The role of the board is to:

  • ensure effective governance of the company so that the company makes decisions at the right time and properly manages risks
  • shape, challenge and direct the agenda for the company delivering stated priorities
  • monitor performance and risk, making choices (or recommendations to ministers) on our priorities ‘risk appetite’ (the amount and type of risk we are willing to take in order to meet our strategic objectives)
  • oversee healthy relations with our stakeholders and commercial partners

The board typically meets on a monthly basis.

Board members

Sir Jon Thompson

Sir Jon Thompson joined HS2 in April 2021 and was appointed as Chair on 9 February 2023.  Sir Jon’s appointment, after almost a year as Deputy Chair, came at a pivotal time for the HS2 programme. Sir Jon brings decades of experience delivering major projects and world-class leadership having previously served as the Permanent Secretary at both the Ministry of Defence and HM Revenue and Customs. Currently Sir Jon serves as a director at the Financial Reporting Council and is the Chair of the Crown Hosting Data Centres.

Sir Jon has had a lengthy finance career including as Director General of Finance at the Ministry of Defence, Director General of Corporate Services at the Department for Education and Finance Director of Ofsted. Before joining the Civil Service in 2004 Sir Jon held a number of corporate services and finance roles in the public and corporate sectors.

Elaine Holt, Non-executive Board Member

With 30 years’ experience in the transport and service industry, Elaine is highly experienced in working in complex, highly regulated environments which are subject to intense public, political and media scrutiny. In addition to her wide, board level experience in construction and infrastructure she also has extensive railway operations experience and has a successful track record of running large customer operations and managing organisations through periods of significant change

Elaine has held a number of non executive or chair roles including served over 6 years as a Non-Executive Director (NED) of Highways England. One of her current NED roles is Deputy Chair of HS2.

Prior to this, she held a number of senior roles within the UK rail industry including Chairman and CEO of Directly Operated Railways, Chairman of East Coast and Managing Director of First Capital Connect. Elaine was also Executive Vice President Guest Experience at Carnival UK running all operations of P&O Cruises and Cunard.

Joanna Davinson, Non-executive Board Director

Joanna has many years’ experience in shaping, delivery and assuring complex technology based programmes. Until recently she was the UK Government’s Chief Digital Officer – the most senior digital role in Government – responsible for setting direction and cross government digital, data and technology strategy and for performance managing Departments to implement.

Joanna was also head of the government’s 25,000 strong government digital profession. She has held a number of high-profile business and technology leadership roles in both the public and private sectors.

She was Chief Information Officer at the Home Office and before that had a successful and varied 30-year career as a Management Consultant and Programme Director in PWC and as a senior leader in IBM. In her last role in IBM she was General Manager of its European Public Sector Consulting and Systems Integration business.

Alan Foster, Chief Finance Officer (interim CEO)

Alan Foster joined HS2 as Chief Financial Officer in July 2022 and took on interim additional CEO responsibilities in September 2024. He brings with him deep experience operating at Board level supporting businesses in both the Energy and Construction sectors, where he has led Finance, a wide range of Corporate Services and business wide transformation in large complex organisations. Alan joins HS2’s Executive Committee and will also attend HS2 Board.

As Chief Financial Officer Alan will be responsible for a wide range of functional teams, including Finance, Legal, Sponsorship, Programme Controls and IT, helping them succeed in collectively enabling the business and our supply chain to deliver on budget and to schedule.

Previously, Alan has been Group CFO of a premium listed construction company and spent over 20 years at National Grid plc in a broad range of Finance and Commercial leadership roles both in the UK & US. Alan was on the Board of National Grid Electricity Transmission plc and National Grid Gas plc as UK CFO from 2016-2020. Prior to National Grid Alan led Finance and IT at a division of a FMCG business, after nearly seven years building his career from Finance graduate trainee to a Senior Commercial Finance Manager with British Sugar plc.   Alan has a degree in Mathematics and it’s application and is a Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA) and a member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (MCIPS).

David Goldstone CBE, Non-executive Board Director

David has had a long career leading major investment programmes for Government and the wider public sector. Most recently, he set up, and led as Chief Executive since July 2020, the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority, with his role there ending and him taking up Non-Executive appointments from September 2024. He has been a Non-Executive Director of the Submarine Delivery Agency since 2022.

David was previously the Chief Operating Officer of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), where he led the Department’s complex multi-billion transformation programme, overhauled the ‘Defence Operating Model’ including the role of Head Office, represented the Department on the Boards of the military commands and was sponsor of 12 arm’s length bodies.

Emma Head, Non-executive Board Director

Emma joined High Speed Two (HS2) Limited as a member of the executive team in August 2015 and holds the position of Technical Services Delivery Director. Her previous role was as Director of Safety Strategy at Network Rail, where she achieved sustainable changes in workforce, passenger and public safety performance.

Emma has worked in the UK railway industry since 1999, gaining a wealth of experience from client and contractor perspectives. She has contributed to major railway engineering schemes, including the West Coast route modernisation and London’s Crossrail project. She is a chartered safety professional, and her role is crucial in helping others to achieve safe working.

Stephen Hughes, Non-executive Board Member

Stephen Hughes joined HS2 in April 2019, being a highly experienced local government leader, having served as Chief Executive of Birmingham City Council for nearly 10 years. Stephen previously held an executive role at Brent Council and a non-executive directorship at Big Band Limited. An accountant by profession, Stephen is currently Chair of Housing & Care 21, a director of Service Hughes 88 Limited and a finance commissioner at Liverpool City Council. Stephen holds a degree in Economics from Cambridge.

Ian King, Non-executive Board Member

Ian King is the lead Non-Executive Director for the Department for Transport and joined HS2 in July 2020.

Ian joined Marconi in 1976 as a graduate entrant, working in defence electronics manufacturing. He served as a Finance Director at Marconi Electronic Systems from 1992 to 1998 and was Chief Executive of Alenia Marconi when Marconi and British Aerospace merged in 1999 to form BAE Systems. After the merger, he became Group Strategy and Planning Director for BAE Systems. In 2008 Ian became the Chief Executive of BAE Systems and held this position until his retirement in June 2017. Ian’s current positions include a lead directorship at Department for Transport, senior advisor to Gleacher Shacklock, Senior Independent Director at Schroders PLC and is Chair at Senior plc.

Dr Nelson Ogunshakin, Non-executive Board Director

Dr Nelson Ogunshakin OBE has over 40 years’ experience in planning, finance, procurement, delivery and management of major property and infrastructure investment projects. He was appointed as the International Federation of Consulting Engineers Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2018. He’s currently a Board member and Chair of the programmes and investment committee for Transport for London. He was appointed as a Board member of the Connecting Places Catapult and currently serves as member of its remuneration committee. He also chairs the Investment Committee of ARM-Harith Infrastructure Investment $250m Funds (PE), since 2015.

Nelson is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Member of Chartered Institute of Directors, a CEDR accredited mediator, member of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and Chartered Institute of Marketing. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a visiting professor of the Academy on infrastructure investment at Aston University.

Nelson was the former Board member and Chair of Investment Committee at Crossrail Ltd. He was the president and CEO of the UK Association for Consultancy and Engineering for 14 years. He was appointed by the former Chief Secretary to Treasury, Sir Danny Alexander as co-chair of the UK National Infrastructure Plan Strategic Engagement Forum. He was also appointed as a member of the London Infrastructure Delivery Board.

Keith Smithson, Non-executive Board Director

Keith is a highly experienced leader in Finance, Treasury and Transformation for large complex organisations operating in regulated environments.

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG, Keith spent 35 years in Banking and Financial Services, primarily in Chief Financial Officer and Treasury roles within HSBC and Barclays. In his career as a CFO, he worked across asset finance and leasing, retail banking, insurance, wealth management, corporate banking and capital markets businesses in the UK and internationally.

Most recently Keith was Chief Financial Officer and a Board Director of Barclays Europe. He also previously served as a Non-Executive Director of Big Society Capital Limited, a regulated provider of social investment capital in the UK.

Board meeting minutes

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 26 June 2024 (PDF, 173 KB, 11 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 22 May 2024 (PDF, 140 KB, 8 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 24 April 2024 (PDF, 149 KB, 10 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 27 March 2024 (PDF, 173 KB, 11 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 28 February 2024 (PDF, 157 KB, 12 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 31 January 2024 (PDF, 189 KB, 13 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 29 November 2023 (PDF, 184 KB, 14 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 25 October 2023 (PDF, 135 KB, 8 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 27 September 2023 (PDF, 161 KB, 12 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 25 July 2023 (PDF, 174 KB, 11 pages)

Title: High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 28 June 2023 (PDF, 141 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 31 May 2023 (PDF, 173 KB, 12 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 26 April 2023 (PDF, 163 KB, 12 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 29 March 2023 (PDF, 152 KB, 8 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 22 February 2023 (PDF, 158 KB, 11 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 25 January 2023 (PDF, 119 KB, 8 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 24 January 2023 (PDF, 110 KB, 5 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 7 December 2022 (PDF, 141 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 2 November 2022 (PDF, 168 KB, 11 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 5 October 2022 (PDF, 169 KB, 14 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 27 July 2022 (PDF, 237 KB, 10 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 29 June 2022 (PDF, 314 KB, 12 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 25 May 2022 (PDF, 561 KB, 11 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 27 April 2022 (PDF, 404 KB, 7 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 30 March 2022 (PDF, 241 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 23 February 2022 (PDF, 622 KB, 10 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 26 January 2022 (PDF, 409 KB, 10 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 21 December 2021 (PDF, 340 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 24 November 2021 (PDF, 127 KB, 7 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 3 November 2021 (PDF, 181 KB, 14 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 28 September 2021 (PDF, 148 KB, 10 pages)

High Speed Two Ltd (HS2) Board meeting minutes: 28 July 2021 (PDF, 152 KB, 10 pages)

High Speed Two Ltd (HS2) Board meeting minutes: 30 June 2021 (PDF, 172 KB, 11 pages)

High Speed Two Ltd (HS2) Board meeting minutes: 2 June 2021 (PDF, 173 KB, 12 pages)

High Speed Two Ltd (HS2) Board meeting minutes: 28 April 2021 (PDF, 144 KB, 12 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 31 March 2021 (PDF, 205 KB, 14 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 24 February 2021 (PDF, 282 KB, 13 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 27 January 2021 (PDF, 136 KB, 10 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 22 December 2020 (PDF, 144 KB, 10 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 25 November 2020 (PDF, 147 KB, 12 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 28 October 2020 (PDF, 150 KB, 12 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 30 September 2020 (PDF, 133 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 23 September 2020 (PDF, 98.1 KB, 4 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 26 August 2020 (PDF, 187 KB, 17 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 29 July 2020 (PDF, 216 KB, 20 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 24 June 2020 (PDF, 184 KB, 15 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 27 May 2020 (PDF, 190 KB, 16 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 29 April 2020 (PDF, 159 KB, 11 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 9 April 2020 (PDF, 99.4 KB, 4 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 25 March 2020 (PDF, 149 KB, 11 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 20 March 2020 (PDF, 99.8 KB, 4 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 26 February 2020 (PDF, 175 KB, 15 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 17 February 2020 (PDF, 94.3 KB, 3 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 29 January 2020 (PDF, 166 KB, 12 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 18 December 2019 (PDF, 143 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 27 November 2019 (PDF, 181 KB, 13 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 30 October 2019 (PDF, 148 KB, 10 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 25 September 2019 (PDF, 249 KB, 11 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd board meeting minutes: 28 August 2019 (PDF, 228 KB, 10 pages)

Minutes from previous board meetings are available on request or via the National Archive website.

Audit and risk assurance committee

The audit and risk committee recommends actions or improvements to the board.

HS2 Ltd audit committee: terms of reference (PDF, 124 KB, 7 pages)

Audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 14 May 2024 (PDF, 132 KB, 7 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 8 February 2024 (PDF, 183 KB, 11 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 20 November 2023 (PDF, 172 KB, 10 pages)

HS2 Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 5 September 2023 (PDF, 121 KB, 6 pages)

HS2 Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 19 June 2023 (PDF, 135 KB, 8 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 19 April 2023 (PDF, 149 KB, 10 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 7 February 2023 (PDF, 145 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 8 December 2022 (PDF, 141 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 6 October 2022 (PDF, 118 KB, 5 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 9 August 2022 (PDF, 150 KB, 7 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 13 June 2022 (PDF, 161 KB, 11 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 7 April 2022 (PDF, 144 KB, 10 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 3 February 2022 (PDF, 131 KB, 8 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 2 December 2021 (PDF, 382 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 20 October 2021 (PDF, 219 KB, 10 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 9 August 2021 (PDF, 122 KB, 6 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 09 June 2021 (PDF, 161 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 24 May 2021 (PDF, 132 KB, 5 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 26 April 2021 (PDF, 165 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd Audit and Risk Assurance Committee meeting minutes: 04 February 2021 (PDF, 138 KB, 8 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 14 December 2020 (PDF, 160 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 5 November 2020 (PDF, 102 KB, 3 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 21 September 2020 (PDF, 130 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 21 July 2020 (PDF, 159 KB, 10 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 15 June 2020: (PDF, 146 KB, 10 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 21 May 2020 (PDF, 131 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 16 March 2020 (PDF, 143 KB, 9 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 22 January 2020 (PDF, 105 KB, 5 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting, 09 December 2019: minutes (PDF, 126 KB, 7 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting, 17 October 2019: minutes (PDF, 105 KB, 2 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting, 04 September 2019: minutes (PDF, 147 KB, 6 pages)

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting, 13 August 2019: minutes (PDF, 148 KB, 4 pages)

HS2 Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 3 June 2019 (PDF, 142 KB, 5 pages)

HS2 Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 1 May 2019 (PDF, 134 KB, 6 pages)

HS2 Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 4 March 2019 (PDF, 175 KB, 7 pages)

HS2 Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 29 January 2019 (PDF, 155 KB, 7 pages)

HS2 Ltd audit and risk assurance committee meeting minutes: 5 December 2018 (PDF, 154 KB, 6 pages)

Minutes from previous audit and risk assurance committee meetings are available on request or via the National Archive website.

Development agreement

View the HS2 development agreement.

Framework document

HS2 Ltd Framework document (PDF, 9.71 MB, 48 pages)

Register of business interests

HS2 Ltd register of business interests (PDF, 184 KB, 3 pages)

HS2 helpdesk

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd
Two Snowhill
Snow Hill Queensway
Birmingham
B4 6GA

Email HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

Freephone 08081 434 434

Minicom 08081 456 472

The helpdesk team are unable to transfer calls internally to HS2 Ltd members of staff.