Arup background in Crossrail Board changes

Former Arup chairman Terry Hill CBE will join the Board of Crossrail on 1 September. As a civil engineer Hill was also technical director of Union Railways in delivering the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (now called HS1), and he developed Arup’s transport activities, mainly outside the UK.

Andrew Wolstenholme OBE will also join Crossrail Board as chief executive in late August following the stepping down of Rob Holden CBE on 10 July following just over two years in the post. Holden saw the project through the UK government’s comprehensive spending review and achieved major project cost savings. A civil engineer, he joined Arup in 1985 after resigning an Army commission in the Irish Hussars (previously with the Royal Engineers), but was lately with Balfour Beatty. His project experience includes the Hong Kong Western Harbour Crossing, the Heathrow Express Rail Link (construction director), and London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 (programme director), later becoming BAA’s director of capital projects. His OBE is for services to the construction industry.

Holden has been reported as wanting to build a portfolio of non-executive board positions.

Current non-executive Board member Heather Rabbatts CBE has been reappointed for a further 3-year term from 13 August. She is a barrister and has served as ceo of local authorities including the London Borough of Lambeth, and is a governor of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan commented, “I am delighted that Terry Hill will be joining the Board. Terry has significant construction industry experience having led on of the UK’s leading engineering companies and will bring invaluable expertise in major transport infrastructure.

Other members of the Crossrail Board as of 1 September will be David Allen (finance director), Ian Brown CBE, Michael Cassidy CBE, Sir Joe Dwyer, Phil Gaffney, Sir Mike Hodgkinson, Robert Jennings CBE and Andy Mitchell (programme director).