• Executive Directors

  • David-Higgins_80x80

    David Higgins – Chief Executive

    David Higgins, 56, joined the Board in April 2010 as a Non-Executive Director and took up the role of Chief Executive on 1 February 2011. Previously he was the Chief Executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and held this role from March 2006 until January 2011. Prior to this, he was the Chief Executive Designate at the ODA from December 2005. To December 2005, he was Chief Executive of English Partnerships for three years. His early career was at Lend Lease Group, where he was appointed Managing Director and Group Chief Executive in 1995. David graduated in Civil Engineering from the University of Sydney and holds a Diploma from the Securities Institute of Australia.

     
  • Patrick Buthcher

    Patrick Butcher – Group Finance Director

    Patrick Butcher, 43, 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 & Touche as a management consultant and auditor. Patrick is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (South Africa).

     
  • Robin Gisby

    Robin Gisby - Director, Network Operations

    Robin Gisby, 54, joined the Board in 2008 having been employed by Network Rail and its predecessor since 1998 and was appointed Director, Operations and Customer Services for Network Rail in May 2004. Previous roles in the company include two regional director positions and, prior to these, within Railtrack, Director, Network Development and Director, Freight. Before joining Railtrack he had engineering and operational roles in both the UK and overseas mainly with GKN plc. He has a first degree in Engineering Science, an MBA and is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport.

     
  • Peter Henderson

    Peter Henderson – Director, Asset Management

    Peter Henderson, 56, has responsibility for Engineering, Asset Management, Asset Information, Maintenance and National Logistics. Joining the Board in 2002, he has over 25 years’ rail experience. He began his career with the construction of the Tyne and Wear Metro, he then spent 16 years with the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway Corporation as Head of Major Projects. He returned to the UK in 2000 to work for Bechtel where he was Projects and Engineering Director for Rail. He has an MSc in Engineering Business Management.

     
  • Simon Kirby

    Simon Kirby - Director, Investment projects

    Simon Kirby, 45, joined the Board in 2008, having been with the Company since 2003. He is responsible for delivery of all large enhancement and renewal infrastructure projects. He has held positions in the Defence industry and has been involved in a number of Land and Naval Weapons System projects including the Trident Nuclear Submarine Programme. In 2000 he was appointed Managing Director of three BAE Systems shipyards before, in 2002, becoming Managing Director of the BAE Systems Type 45 Prime Contract Organisation. Simon has an MSc in Engineering Business Management from Warwick University and is also on the board of the Major Projects Association.

     
  • Paul Plummer

    Paul Plummer - Group Strategy Director

    Paul Plummer, 45, joined the Board in 2008, having been with the Company since 2002. He is responsible for network planning, the development of enhancement projects, the periodic regulatory review process, reform of the regulatory and contractual framework, and regulatory/government/european affairs. Previously he was Chief Economist and Director of Economics and Finance at the Office of Rail Regulation from 1999 to 2001. He has also worked at National Economic Research Associates (NERA), NM Rothschild and Accenture advising companies, governments and regulators on utility regulation, restructuring, privatisation, strategy, finance and M&A in the UK and overseas. He has a degree and MSc in Economics.