NDA announces new chair for Sellafield Ltd board
Tony Fountain will become the new chair for Sellafield Ltd.
Tony Fountain
Tony will take up the role on 1 April 2016 as part of the new management arrangements which will see Sellafield Ltd become a wholly owned subsidiary of the NDA. He will replace current chair Tony Price.
Tony brings 30 years of industry experience having held key roles within BP and more recently having spent a highly successful period leading Reliance Industries’ refining and marketing business in India. Tony also brings valuable knowledge of the nuclear industry having been CEO of the NDA from 2009 to 2011.
Announcing the appointment, Stephen Henwood chair of the NDA said:
The position of the Sellafield Ltd chair is a hugely important one requiring someone of considerable experience in industry and first class leadership skills. Having scoured the international market we are delighted to have secured Tony Fountain’s services. Tony will be a huge asset to Sellafield Ltd in overseeing its delivery of the NDA’s decommissioning mission at Sellafield, the most challenging across our estate.
I would like to thank Tony Price who in his role as managing director and latterly as chair of Sellafield Ltd has brought a much improved focus on delivery at the site.
Commenting on his appointment, Tony Fountain said:
Sellafield Ltd plays a crucial role in safely and securely managing the UK’s nuclear legacy. I am delighted to be asked to chair the organisation and help Paul Foster, his executive team and workforce to progress the decommissioning mission as effectively and efficiently as possible on behalf of the NDA.
From previous experience I know of the tremendous expertise and passion within Sellafield Ltd to make real progress. I am also fully aware of the significant role the organisation fulfills within its communities. I am looking forward to playing my part in what will be a pivotal period for the organisation and the site.
Paul Foster, Managing Director of Sellafield Ltd said:
In Tony Fountain, the NDA has found someone with the right skills, experience and attributes to chair an organisation with a mission as complex as ours. I am looking forward to working closely with Tony as we drive progress in evolving the business.
Under the new NDA owner/Sellafield Ltd subsidiary arrangements, effective from 1 April 2016, the NDA is responsible for selecting the chair of the Board of Sellafield Ltd. The appointment will run for 3 years, renewable by mutual agreement. The chair will lead the board of non-executive and executive directors in driving safe and secure progress and value for money in the delivery of the mission at Sellafield.
Sellafield is one of the largest and most complex nuclear sites in the world and home to some of the UK’s most technically challenging and complex major projects. With an annual spend of around £2bn and 10,000 employees, it represents one of the largest public sector funded programmes and makes up 60 per cent of the NDA’s budget. Achieving best possible performance is therefore a priority for the NDA and government.
During 2014 the NDA undertook a review of the management arrangements at Sellafield which culminated in the announcement in January 2015 of the decision to change the parent body model to one where the Site Licence Company, Sellafield Ltd, is a subsidiary of the NDA from April 2016.