News story

Chris Train OBE appointed as new Chair of Sellafield Ltd

The NDA has today announced that Chris Train OBE has been appointed as the Chair of Sellafield Ltd.

Chris Train OBE

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has today announced that Chris Train OBE has been appointed as the Chair of Sellafield Ltd, an NDA subsidiary. Chris will succeed the Interim Chair, Lawrie Haynes CBE.

Chris has been a non-executive director of the NDA since January 2022, and Interim Chair of the NDA Board since September 2023. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced last month that Peter Hill CBE would be taking up the position of NDA Chair on 1 June 2024.

On commencing his role as Sellafield Chair, Chris will step down from the NDA Board. Lawrie will continue in his current role as Chair of NDA subsidiary, Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS).

NDA Chief Executive Officer, David Peattie, said:

Since its earliest days, Sellafield has played a pivotal role in the UK’s nuclear industry and the work being delivered today by the Sellafield workforce remains nationally important. 

Chris brings passion and a wealth of leadership experience to Sellafield. He will be instrumental in supporting the Board and Executive to deliver Sellafield’s goals and ambitions. I want to thank Chris for his valuable contribution to the NDA as non-executive director, and his expert leadership as Interim Chair over recent months.

Chris said:

It’s a privilege to take on the role of Sellafield Ltd Chair. Having been part of the NDA group since 2022, I understand the importance of the work being delivered by the Sellafield workforce and supply chain, to clean-up and decommission the site, and its significance in the nuclear sector more broadly.

I look forward to supporting the Board and Executive to lead Sellafield and through the success of its operations, provide maximum value, locally and nationally.

Chris has over 38 years’ experience in energy, utilities, regulation and infrastructure. He has held chief executive, senior project management, operations and business development roles at Cadent, National Grid, Transco and Lattice. He has also sat on European and international committees covering subjects such as regulation, commercial and infrastructure development.

Chris has been Chair of the NDA Board’s Project and Programmes Committee which oversees a significant part of the NDA’s annual budget of around £4 billion.

Alongside serving on the NDA Board, Chris is the Non-Executive Chair of South East Water Limited and Clean Power Hydrogen (CPH2).

Chris was appointed following a fair, open and transparent selection process. His term begins formally on 1 July 2024.

Published 29 May 2024