Rail Forum Board

  • Will Rogers

    Chair
    Will is currently Managing Director of East Midlands Railway; he was appointed as Chair of the Rail Forum in July 2022. Will’s 20+ year rail career includes several roles in train operating companies together with a significant amount of experience in the supply chain with Interfleet (now SNC Lavalin). Will brings a wealth and depth of knowledge spanning the whole industry at a time of significant change as  we navigate the implementation of the rail reform agenda that underpins the Williams Shapps Plan for Rail.

  • Michelle Craven-Faulkner

    Vice-Chair
    In her ‘day job’ Michelle is a Partner at Shoosmiths. Previously, she joined Geldards from Nelsons following several years contracting experience with Alstom Transport covering projects across the whole of the UK. Michelle has experience across all aspects of rail having been involved with supporting the manufacturing, renovation, service and parts supply functions, together with West Coast Mainline, Northern & Jubilee Line and Light Rail Projects.

  • Simon Higgens MBE

    Vice-Chair
    Simon is Business Development Director at Story Contracting Ltd, a civil engineering company that operates in the rail and construction sectors.  Having cut his teeth in the rail industry at Babcock, he was CEO of Derby-based ISS Labour and Market Engagement Director at Amey Consulting & Rail. Prior to joining the rail industry, Simon served in the Royal Engineers for 30 years and deployed worldwide on numerous operations. Drawing on his military and rail experience, Simon brings his strategic and leadership skills to the Board and a passion for lifelong learning and addressing the industry’s skills gap.

Rail Forum Executive Directors

  • Anna Ince

    Chief Executive Officer at Resonate

  • Ben Ackroyd

    Chief Operating Officer, Porterbrook

  • Chris Swan

    Head of Rail at Tarmac

  • Chris Wright

    Managing Director, Keolis Nottingham Trams (Designate)

  • David Brookes

    Head of Business Development at Elite KL

  • David Taylor

    Managing Director at Datum Composites

  • Donna Hoffman

    Managing Director at Inside Out Group

  • Laura May

    Business Development Manager at TUV Rheinland UK

  • Michael Grace

    Strategic Development Director, TXM Consult

  • Mike Hulme

    Site Director, Alstom UK

  • Nick Andrew

    Managing Director, CWE

  • Nicola Phillips

    Supply Chain Director at Siemens Mobility

  • Tom Meacock

    Director - Rail, SNC Lavalin Atkins

Rail Forum Stakeholder Members of the Board

  • Andy Shaw

    Unite the Union

  • Cllr Martyn Ford

    Derbyshire County Council

  • Gary Walsh

    Route Director, Network Rail

  • Kyle Butterworth

    Head of Rail Improvement, EM Councils

  • Lawrence Bowman

    Systems Operator, Network Rail

  • Rupert Brennan Brown

    Director, Strategic Stakeholder Engagement – This is a non executive Board appointment providing advice to the Rail Forum team on strategic stakeholder engagement  

Rail Forum Non-Exec Advisors

Rail Forum Honorary Patron

Rt Hon Lord Patrick McLoughlin CH

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Rail Forum Young Persons Ambassador

Harry Burr, Chief Executive, Sustainable Transport Midlands

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See the Rail Forum staff