Dr Ros Rivaz
Biography
Dr Ros Rivaz was Chair of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority from September 2020 to August 2023.
Ros has a wide range of experience in executive and non-executive roles in blue chip companies, predominantly in highly regulated and high hazard environments, both in the UK and internationally.
She started her career in ExxonMobil, working across all business areas, with an increasing focus in manufacturing, engineering and ESG. After some 19 years, Ros moved forward to perform senior roles in international companies including Tate & Lyle, ICI, Diageo and Smith & Nephew. Ros’s executive career culminated as Smith & Nephew’s Global Chief Operating Officer, a position she held from 2011-2014. There Ros led work on the group’s global transformation for supply chain, manufacturing, engineering and procurement. She was also responsible for regulatory matters including health, safety, environmental performance, IT and cyber-security; she retains a strong interest in all these areas as reflected in her subsequent board roles.
Ros’s non-executive career has retained sector breadth whilst focussing principally in high hazard, manufacturing and engineering businesses. Her current portfolio includes non-Executive, Senior Independent Director and Committee Chair roles variously for Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) within the Ministry of Defence, Computacenter plc, the chemicals company Victrex plc and the specialised steel company Aperam SA. She has also held a range of other Board roles with private and listed companies including ConvaTec plc, Boparan Holdings, RPC Group plc, Ceva Logistics and Rexam plc.
Ros also plays important roles in the charity sector and academia. She was non-executive Director of the “Your Life” initiative, which was a Government led, industry sponsored campaign to increase take up of Maths and Physics amongst 14-16 year olds; Deputy Chair of Southampton University, and was the first chair of the University’s HSE & Risk Audit and Assurance; and is on the board of the community interest company Eton Community CIC. Ros was awarded an honorary Doctorate in 2015 for services to industry and to the voluntary sector. Her interests include travelling, skiing, walking, music and theatre. Ros is married with four children.
Previous roles in government
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Chair