This story was written with AI assistance from Harmsworth
Becky Wood has been appointed chief executive of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) to oversee delivery of the UK’s 10-year infrastructure strategy.
Wood will join the agency in June from consultancy EY, where she is a partner.
She previously held senior roles at the Department for Transport and Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA), including responsibility for the Crossrail, Thameslink and Intercity Express programmes.
Wood is also a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
She said: “It is an honour to be appointed to a role that has so much potential to make a vital difference to the everyday lives of people across the UK.”
Chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said: “Becky brings a wealth of experience from the public and private sector, overseeing some of the biggest transport projects around the world in the past decade.”
Sir John Armitt, who chairs NISTA’s council of expert advisers, said her leadership would be vital in building an “effective and credible institution”.
NISTA was launched on 1 April and will work closely with its newly formed council of expert advisers. It is part of a wider government push to unblock planning constraints and boost long-term delivery of national infrastructure.
The authority brings together the IPA and the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) under HM Treasury, combining strategy and delivery in a single body. The organisation is tasked with tackling long-standing systemic delivery issues across transport, health, education and other sectors.
NISTA is also expected to offer advice on private finance and support delivery of the 10-year infrastructure strategy, which sits alongside the Planning and Infrastructure Bill as part of the government’s approach to accelerating infrastructure investment.
Source: Gov.uk