Becky Wood has been made the inaugural chief executive of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), which formally launched this month and brings together the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) and the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC).
Ms Wood, who is a partner at the consultancy firm EY, will formally take up her role as CEO in June.
She also worked as a commercial advisor at the IPA and for 10 years oversaw major infrastructure developments at the Department for Transport, serving as the senior responsible officer for the Crossrail, Thameslink and Intercity Express programmes.
Darren Jones, chief secretary to the Treasury said: 'I am delighted that Becky is going to lead NISTA as the new CEO, she brings a wealth of experience from the public and private sector overseeing some of the biggest transport projects around the world in the past decade. Her appointment is an important milestone for NISTA’s work in getting a grip on infrastructure delivery, powering growth across the country and delivering on our Plan for Change.'
Mr Jones has also created a new Council of Expert Advisors to support NISTA, with the former head of the NIC, Sir John Armitt, as chair.
'We are at a critical moment for transforming how we plan and deliver the nation’s infrastructure, and Becky’s leadership will be vital for building an effective and credible institution that can do just that. I look forward to working closely with her in the coming months,' Sir John said.
Ms Wood commented: 'It is an honour to be appointed to a role that has so much potential to make a vital difference to the everyday lives of people across the UK, ensuring robust delivery of infrastructure and enabling growth. I am very much looking forward to joining the team in June.'
The Treasury described NISTA as part of 'a three-pronged approach to address the fundamental constraints to infrastructure investment' alongside the Government's 10-year infrastructure strategy and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, designed to unblock planning constraints.
NISTA has been tasked with bringing strategy and delivery under one roof, covering areas including roads and railways and 'addressing the systemic delivery challenges that have stunted growth for decades', Treasury officials said.
