Outgoing ACE chief executive among new appointments to Crossrail’s board

Outgoing chief executive of the Association of Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) Nelson Ogunshakin is among one of the changes to Crossrail’s board ahead of the project’s planned completion later this year.

The changes to the board have seen Crossrail technical director Chris Sexton appointed on 1 April, while Andy Pitt has been added to the board as a Department for Transport nominated non-executive director from 1 July 2018 until 1 September 2019. As a Transport for London (TfL) board member Anne McMeel joins Ogunshakin to the Crossrail board as TfL nominated non-executive directors from 1 July 2018 until 1 September 2019.

Current non-executive directors Pam Alexander, Michael Cassidy and Terry Hill have stepped down at the end of their current term on 30 June 2018. Cassidy will continue to advise the Crossrail Board on issues relating to the City of London and the Crossrail Art Programme.   

Commenting on the appointments, Sir Terry Morgan, Crossrail chairman, said: “These governance arrangements support the transition of the railway to Transport for London and the opening of the Elizabeth line. I would like to thank Pam Alexander, Michael Cassidy and Terry Hill for their dedicated service and contribution to the Crossrail project over many years. Construction of the Elizabeth line is now in its final stages. Testing of new trains and infrastructure is underway and continues alongside the remaining fit-out of the stations. Later this year, the first completed infrastructure will be handed over to Transport for London, who will lead the trial operations phase. The Crossrail Board will oversee the remaining programme through to 2019 when the project concludes.”

Outgoing ACE chief executive Ogunshakin has spoken of his delight in joining the board at such a critical time and adds how “extremely exciting” it is to contribute to the final leg of the project.

He added: “My appointment as a representative of Transport for London will be crucial with the future transition of the project as it becomes fully operational, but I believe my engineering, commercial and contractual background will also help the board to oversee a continued smooth completion of the construction process. Crossrail is a huge infrastructure project which will revolutionise public transport for many in London and the entire Board will do everything possible for this project of vital economic and social importance to be delivered on time and address the strategic needs of Londoners.”

Membership of the Crossrail board from 1 July 2018 will be as follows:

• Sir Terry Morgan, chairman 
• Simon Wright, chief executive & programme director 
• Mathew Duncan, finance director
• Chris Sexton, technical director 
• Robert Jennings (Department for Transport nominee)
• Andy Pitt (Department for Transport nominee)
• Anne McMeel (Transport for London nominee)
• Nelson Ogunshakin (Transport for London nominee)
• Mark Wild (Transport for London nominee) 
• Phil Gaffney, independent non-executive director