Executive Directors

Iain Coucher – Chief Executive

Iain Coucher is Chief Executive of Network Rail. Previously, he was Chief Executive of TubeLines, one of the infrastructure companies under London Underground public private partnership, following 16 years with EDS.

Peter Henderson - Director, Asset Management

Peter Henderson has over 20 years rail experience and came from Bechtel where he was Projects Director Rail, which included responsibility for engineering.

He spent sixteen years with the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway Corporation, latterly as head of major projects.

Patrick Butcher – Group Finance Director

Patrick Butcher, 41, joined the Board in 2009 having previously held the position of finance director at English Welsh and Scottish Railway (now DB Schenker) between 2004 and 2008. Before this he was finance director at Mapeley Ltd, London Underground and King’s College Hospital. His early career was at Deloitte and Touche as a management consultant and auditor. Patrick is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (South Africa).

Robin Gisby - Director, Operations & Customer Services

Robin became director, operations and customer services in May 2004 and was appointed to the board in October 2008 following many successful years in the company with roles such as, director of the southern region, director of the eastern region and with Railtrack as director network development and director of freight.

Before joining Railtrack in 1997, Robin, now 51, had a wide range of engineering and operational roles in both the UK and overseas mainly with GKN plc. He has a degree in Engineering Science and an MBA. Robin is married with four children and lives in south west London.

Simon Kirby - Director, Investment projects

Simon’s early career was spent in the aerospace & defence industry including the Trident nuclear submarine programme. Simon went on to become operations director of the two Marconi shipyards in 1998. In 2000, after the merger of Marconi and British Aerospace (to form BAE Systems) Simon was appointed MD of the three BAE Systems shipyards in Cumbria and Glasgow and then MD of BAE Systems' multi-billion pound 'prime contract' organisation.

Simon joined Network Rail in July 2003 as director, major projects and investment with responsibility for delivery of the company's growing project and expansion scheme portfolio. In 2007 Simon was appointed to the new role of director, infrastructure investment which added the company's 'mega-projects', such as the west coast project, the Thameslink programme, and other to his responsibilities, and became a board member in October 2008. Simon, 43, has an MSc in engineering business management, is married with two children, and lives in Cumbria. He enjoys sailing, cycling and Liverpool FC.

Paul Plummer - Director, Planning and Development

Paul Plummer joined Network Rail when it took over Railtrack nearly six years ago. His responsibilities include all aspects of economic regulation, business planning and long-term planning of the network.

Previously chief economist (from 1999-2001) and then non-executive director (until October 2002) at the Office of the Rail Regulator, he has also worked at National Economic Research Associates (NERA), NM Rothschild & Sons and Accenture. Paul is 42, married with four children and lives in Bedfordshire, commuting daily on the west coast main line. He enjoys running and hockey.