HS2 Ltd has appointed Mark Wild OBE as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to oversee the completion of the high-speed railway, alongside its transformational benefits.
Wild has over four decades of experience, including in the delivery of complex railway systems. Most notably, he was previously the CEO of Crossrail for almost four years through to the successful opening of the Elizabeth line.
He will join HS2 Ltd at a key point in the programme as civil engineering works reach their peak and focus shifts to building the infrastructure to operate the railway.
This appointment is part of a series of reforms across the project which aim to reduce costs while safely delivering the scheme on time.
“HS2 between Euston and the West Midlands will provide faster connections for millions of passengers, grow the economy, regenerate communities and create tens of thousands of high skilled jobs across the country.
“Mark Wild brings a wealth of experience with him, including leading the successful delivery of Crossrail, and I have every confidence he will grip costs and robustly oversee this project to transform rail travel for generations.”
Mark was selected for this role through a rigorous recruitment process overseen by the HS2 Ltd board and led by Sir Jon Thompson, Executive Chair.
“Mark joins HS2 Ltd with unrivalled experience and a track record of successful delivery, giving confidence that he will drive this hugely complex programme to completion - providing more reliable and faster services for rail users, while boosting the economies of the West Midlands and London. It is a mark of the scale and ambition of HS2 that we can attract a leader of his calibre.”
Wild’s exact start date has not yet been confirmed. His recruitment follows the departure of Mark Thurston who led HS2 Ltd for six-and-a-half years until the end of September 2023.
Sir Jon Thompson will continue in his current position as Executive Chair until Mark’s arrival. He will then resume his previous role as HS2 Ltd Chair.
“I look forward to leading HS2 as it progresses from major construction works to its rail systems phase and beyond to the first passenger services. The scale and ambition of HS2 is phenomenal and will deliver wide-reaching benefits for the UK through more jobs, economic growth and better journeys.”
