Network Rail announces new chief executive

Network Rail has announced that Mark Carne, formerly executive vice president for the Middle East and North Africa for Royal Dutch Shell, is to be its next chief executive.

Mark will join the organisation on 6th January 2014 before formally taking over as chief executive from David Higgins on 1st April 2014.

As executive vice president for Shell in the Middle East and North Africa, Mark was responsible for the company’s business in a vital but volatile region at a time of significant political change. He placed particular emphasis on developing local staff and businesses, supporting each country as they addressed the issue of unemployment – and in the process helped Shell achieve a strong position in countries such as Iraq.

Before taking on that role he was executive vice president and managing director for BG Group in Europe and Central Asia following a 21-year period spent in a variety of roles with Shell including responsibility for Shell’s oil and gas platforms in the North Sea and as managing director for Brunei Shell Petroleum. Earlier in his career he helped to lead the company’s response to the disaster on the Occidental-operated Piper Alpha platform in the North Sea.

Network Rail’s chairman, Richard Parry Jones, said: “Each and every day, Network Rail has to provide a safe and reliable railway for the travelling public as well as the train and freight operating companies, at the same time as working to improve the network to help us meet unprecedented growth in demand. That poses a unique set of challenges for any chief executive, demanding the skill and experience to translate engineering excellence into daily operations safely and effectively, as well as keeping the public informed of what we are doing and why.

“Through his work with Shell and BG Group in very testing and difficult environments, Mark Carne has shown that he has the necessary skill and global experience to build on, and develop further, what Network Rail has already achieved in meeting these challenges under the leadership of David Higgins. We thank David for all he has done for the company.”

Mark Carne said: “The success of Network Rail is vital for Britain’s economy and this is an exciting time for the whole rail industry. I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead Network Rail and look forward to working with the team to drive performance to new heights.”