Latest Rail News

20.03.19

Carillion-bound boss appointed to lead Kier

Kier has appointed Andrew Davies as its new chief executive, two months after the building contractor ousted Hayden Mursell on the back of debt issues.

Davies had been appointed to lead the British outsourcing giant Carillion, but it became solvent before he could take up his post and now he joins one of its old rivals.

He will take up his role as chief executive at Kier Group, which has contracts for the HS2 railway line and numerous other construction and transport project, on 15 April.

The interim chief executive Philip Cox will resume his role as non-executive chairman once Davies joins.

In January, Kier announced that its chief executive Mursell would stand down with immediate effect after five years in the role after a poorly received £264m emergency rescue rights issue.

Davies was previously the chief executive of Wates Group, another UK property and construction company, from 2014-2018, and has spent 28 years with BAE Systems in senior operational and corporate roles.

Philip Cox, the executive chairman of Kier, commented: “Andrew has a strong track record of business leadership and his operational experience across a number of sectors, combined with his strategic approach, make him an excellent fit for Kier.

“On behalf of the board, I would like to welcome Andrew to the group and I look forward to working with him.”

Davies said: “I am delighted to be joining Kier as chief executive. Kier has established market-leading positions through developing long-term client relationships and delivering excellent client service.

“I look forward to leading Kier in consolidating those positions and to bringing a renewed focus on simplifying the group, improving cashflow generation, and reducing net debt, whilst maintaining the group’s disciplined approach to risk management.”

Comments

There are no comments. Why not be the first?

Add your comment

Rail industry Focus

View all News

Comment

The challenge of completing Crossrail

05/07/2019The challenge of completing Crossrail

With a new plan now in place to deliver Crossrail, Hedley Ayres, National Audit Office manager, major projects and programmes, takes a look at ho... more >
Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the future

04/07/2019Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the future

The move to decarbonise the rail network involves shifting to cleaner modes of traction by 2050. David Clarke, technical director at the Railway ... more >

Most Read

'the sleepers' blog

On the right track, Sulzer is awarded RISAS accreditation for Nottingham Service Centre

29/06/2020On the right track, Sulzer is awarded RISAS accreditation for Nottingham Service Centre

Following an independent audit, Sulzer’s Nottingham Service Centre has been accepted as part of the rail industry supplier approval scheme (RISAS). The accreditation reinforces the high-quality standards that are maintained by Sulzer’s... more >
read more blog posts from 'the sleeper' >

Interviews

Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

24/06/2019Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

Andrew Haines, the Chief Executive of Network Rail, has told the Today programme on Radio 4's BBC’s flagship news programme that he would not rule out his organisation issuing future r... more >
Advancing the rail industry with management degree apprenticeships

08/05/2019Advancing the rail industry with management degree apprenticeships

In answering the pressing questions of how current and future generations of managers can provide solutions to high-profile infrastructure projects across the UK, Pearson Business School, part of... more >