Network Rail’s senior non-executive director, Mike Putnam, has been appointed as acting chair following Lord Peter Hendy’s appointment as Minister of State in the Department for Transport.
Mike has been a member of Network Rail’s Board since 2018 and has more than 25 years of executive experience across the construction, development and services sectors, which includes serving as the President and Chief Executive of Skanska UK until May 2017.
He is also a chartered engineer and a fellow of both the Institution of Civil Engineers and Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
Meanwhile, the process of appointing a long-term successor to Lord Hendy will be led by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh.
Network Rail acting chair, Mike Putnam, said: “Peter’s are big shoes to fill as I help to push Network Rail forward to address its key priorities of running a safe and better performing railway, whilst helping Andrew [Haines] to get the company, and the whole industry ready, for its journey into a new chapter with the establishment of Great British Railways.”
Andrew Haines, Network Rail Chief Executive, said:
Mike is also an independent non-executive director of TransPennine Route Upgrade, a non-executive director of Bazalgette Tunnel Limited, vice chair of the Supervisory Board of Arcadis NV and a non-executive director of Finning Inc of Vancouver.
He will step down as a non-executive director of Southern Water Services after seven years in the role at the end of this month.
Image credit: Network Rail
