Catriona Schmolke CBE FREng
Biography
Board skills and experience:
Catriona brings 40 years of expertise in the infrastructure sector as a hydrogeologist and engineer, with significant experience in Executive, Board Chair and Non-Executive roles. Her career has spanned numerous sectors and major programmes, including nuclear, energy, water, waste, and contaminated land. She served as the Chief Safety Security and Sustainability Officer at Jacobs from 2014 to 2020. Catriona is a former Visiting Professor of Sustainability at Newcastle University.
External appointments:
Catriona currently holds the position of Chair at Artus Air Ltd. Additionally, she serves as a Non-Executive Director and member of the Audit & Risk Committee for Scottish Water Group and is a Non-Executive Director and Chair of Programmes at the National Physical Laboratory. She is also a Non-Executive Director with NES Fircroft Ltd.
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Board
Appointed: 1 June 2025
Term ends: 30 November 2028
Non-executive Director
Non-Executive Directors are members of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s Board.
The Board:
- monitors the NDA’s performance and directs its business effectively, including playing an active role in stakeholder relations
- receives frequent updates on the NDA’s financial position, forecasts and sensitivities
- ensures that a balanced assessment of performance is reported to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and regularly debates the main (corporate strategic) risks facing the NDA