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

Mike Brown, Chair

Mike was appointed as the Chair of HS2 in July 2025.

He is Chair of Affinity Water Ltd and a Non-Executive Board member of Translink.

Previously he was the non-executive Chair of the Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority for the Houses of Parliament, an Advisor to Mott MacDonald and also Chair of their Shareholder Committee. He was also Chair of the Railway Safety and Standards Board.

In his executive career, Mike was the Commissioner for Transport for London for 5 years during a period of significant capital delivery enhancements and operational improvements. He was previously the Managing Director of London Underground and London Rail including leading public transport services for the successful Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. He also was the Managing Director of Heathrow Airport and was instrumental in leading the turnaround in performance following the challenges of the opening of Terminal 5.

Elaine Holt, Non-Executive Deputy Chair

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.

Mark Wild OBE, Chief Executive Officer

Mark Wild has been Chief Executive Officer of HS2 Limited since December 2024*, leading one of the largest infrastructure programmes in the UK - Britain’s newest, high speed railway stretching over 140 miles between London and Birmingham and employing over 30,000 people. Mark draws on more than 35 years of experience leading complex and critical infrastructure programmes in both public and private sectors in the UK and abroad.

Mark joined HS2 Ltd from SGN, one of the UK’s largest gas distribution networks, servicing 7 million customers in Scotland, Southern England and Northern Ireland.

The majority of his experience has been in operating or building major transportation infrastructure including as MD of Westinghouse Signals, CEO of Public Transport Victoria (Melbourne, Australia), and MD of London Underground - one of oldest and largest oldest metro systems in the world with over one billion journeys a year and 20,000 employees. He has a proven track record of delivering transformational change on some of the largest and most complex projects around the world.

As CEO of Crossrail (2018-2022) in London, a £20bn programme delivering one of the world’s most advanced high-frequency passenger rail services, he implemented a rescue and recovery of the programme following earlier cost and schedule delays in 2018. This included rebuilding the organisation, completing construction of the programme and the integration into one of the most successful and celebrated new operating railways in the world – now known as the Elizabeth line.

Alan Foster, Deputy CEO and Chief Financial Officer

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).

Emma Head, Chief Railway Officer

Emma joined HS2 Ltd in August 2015 as a member of the Executive Team, and has had a variety of leadership roles within the organisation including Technical Service Delivery Director, before joining the HS2 Board as Chief Railway Officer.

Emma has worked in the UK railway industry since 1999 and was previously Director of Safety Strategy at Network Rail, where she delivered a step change in workforce and passenger safety performance, operational improvements at level crossings across the UK network, and assured the delivery of critical asset improvement programmes. Emma has a wealth of experience from a client and contractor perspective, and has contributed to major railway engineering schemes, including West Coast route modernisation and London’s Crossrail project. Before moving client side, Emma held various roles in large Tier 1 and 2 Contractors, working across the construction and rail sectors.

David Goldstone CBE, Non-Executive 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.

Ian King, Non-Executive Director

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 OBE, Non-Executive Director

Dr Nelson Ogunshakin OBE was appointed as the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) chief executive officer in July 2018 with overall responsibility for FIDIC’s global operations. He was appointed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan in 2016, and currently a board member of Transport for London, a £10.5bn annual turnover operator (TfL), is the Chair of its programmes and investment committee, member of the Remuneration Committee and previously served on its audit and assurance committee, and its customer service and operational performance panel. He was also a TfL nominee board member of Crossrail Limited (CRL) and chaired the Investment Committee on the £18.0bn new East-west rail development in London. He was appointed as Board member of the Connecting Places Catapult (CPC) in 2021 and currently serves as member of its remuneration committee.

Nelson was the immediate past president and CEO of the UK Association for Consultancy and Engineering for 14 years, during which time he was responsible for the transformation and repositioning of ACE, an association representing the interests of over 450 consultancy and engineering companies employing over 90,000 professionals, with annual turnover close to £9bn. He was appointed the Chief Secretary to Treasury; Sir Danny Alexander as co-chaired the UK National Infrastructure Plan Strategic Engagement Forum (NIPSEF) and was also appointed under London Mayor Boris Johnson, by the GLA as a member of the London Infrastructure Delivery Board. He chairs the Investment Committee of ARM-Harith Infrastructure Investment $250m Funds (PE) since 2015, and has over 35 years’ experience in planning, finance, procurement, delivery and management of major property and infrastructure investment projects.

Keith Smithson, Non-Executive 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.

Anne McMeel, Non-Executive Director

Anne McMeel is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, and is currently a Non-Executive Director on the National Crime Agency Board and the Chair of their Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee.

In 2001, after holding various executive posts in London Authorities, Anne joined the newly created Greater London Authority as its first Director of Finance and Performance before moving to the Metropolitan Police Service in 2007 as its Director of Resources until 2012.

Since 2013 she has pursued her interests in cultural activities and travelling whilst using her risk, assurance and governance skills in new environments, including as an adviser to KBR and as a Non-Executive Board Director at Keech Hospice Care, Transport for London, Restoration and Renewal (Palace of Westminster) Delivery Authority and Rail Safety and Standards Board as well as an independent member of the Ministry of Defence Police Committee and the Arts Council England Performance and Audit Committee.

Stephen Murphy, Non-Executive Director

Steve was CEO for MTR UK from 2020 to 2024, overseeing the delivery of full Elizabeth line services and the start-up of both infrastructure and property development businesses, designed to bring new solutions to the UK industry.

Steve had previously led the award-winning train company MTR Elizabeth line (MTREL) as Managing Director, since its inception in 2015, achieving first place sector status for measurements as wide ranging as on time running, safety standards, workplace diversity and customer service. Steve has been credited as the driving force behind MTREL’s escalating success story.

From the start of his career over 30 years ago as a British Rail graduate trainee and following leadership roles with Chiltern Railways, Irish Rail, Deutsche Bahn and London Overground, Steve’s approach has been the catalyst for dynamic growth in the Industry through constant innovation and an unwavering focus on safety, reliability and customer service.

Simon Wills, Non-Executive Director

Background in the energy sector, having held a wide variety of commercial and operational roles within Centrica and before that British Gas, both in the UK and Europe, including Managing Director of Centrica Storage Ltd and latterly, Group Health and Safety Director.

Currently Chair at B&D Energy and a Non-Executive Director for the National Highways, the Oil and Pipelines Agency and the ThamesWey Group.

Qualifications include: a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering, Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety.

Neil Reynolds, Non-Executive Director

Neil Reynolds is a Chartered Civil Engineer with over 40 years’ experience in the planning, delivery, and governance of major infrastructure.

His experience spans leadership roles across client, contractor, and consultancy organisations, covering both horizontal (transport, water, and tunnelling networks) and vertical (treatment plants, high-tech facilities, and civic schemes) infrastructure. Neil held senior executive roles at CH2M (later Jacobs), where he led the international water business group, the regional operations across MENAI, and global sales for the water and transportation business.

He played a leading role in the post-acquisition integration of CH2M and Halcrow, aligning delivery models, assurance, and culture across the combined organisation. He supported assurance and delivery management on major programmes including Thames Tideway Tunnel, the Lee Tunnel challenge board, Riyadh Metro, Expo 2020 Dubai, and Qatar 2022.

Fabienne Viala, Non-Executive Director

With over 35 years’ experience in the construction, energy and infrastructure sectors, Fabienne Viala brings extensive leadership and governance expertise from both the UK and continental Europe. She has led complex, high-value programmes in regulated environments and has a strong record of delivering transformation, improving performance and embedding sustainability across major projects.

As former Chair and Chief Executive of Bouygues UK and UK Country Manager for Bouygues Construction, Fabienne oversaw major developments in healthcare, education and regeneration. She successfully turned around underperforming businesses, integrated acquisitions and delivered long-term value through operational excellence, innovation and a strong focus on ESG.

Fabienne has held several non-executive and advisory roles, including Board Member of Build UK, President of the French Chamber of Great Britain and Advisory Board Member at Durham University Business School.

Rob McIntosh, Non-Executive Director

Prior to stepping back in early 2025, Rob had successfully led the two largest Network Rail regions and was responsible for over half of Network Rail’s capital investment portfolio.

In his time at Network Rail, Rob oversaw the successful delivery of major multibillion investment programmes on both the East Coast and Midland Mainline, and is currently independent chair of the £10bn Transpennine upgrade programme board.

Before joining Network Rail, Rob worked in various parts of the supply chain both in the UK and overseas. Prior to that he was an apprentice mechanical engineer, joining the Railtrack graduate training programme in 1996.