The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has appointed Iain Lanaghan as a Non-Industry Non-Executive Director and Chair of its Audit & Risk Committee, strengthening the organisation’s governance leadership at a pivotal time for Britain’s railway.
Lanaghan officially joined the Board on 1 May 2026 and brings more than four decades of board-level experience across major infrastructure sectors including transport, energy, water and defence.
His appointment comes as RSSB continues to position itself at the centre of rail reform, data-led decision making and system-wide risk management ahead of the transition to Great British Railways.
Lanaghan previously served as Group Finance Director at FirstGroup, giving him direct experience of the rail and bus sector, before going on to hold a series of senior executive and non-executive positions across complex regulated industries.
RSSB said his expertise in financial governance, audit, strategic oversight and risk management would support the organisation as it navigates a period of significant structural change across the rail industry.
RSSB Chair Chris Burchell said the combination of infrastructure and transport expertise would be particularly valuable as the organisation continues supporting the railway through evidence-based advice and governance.
“Iain brings deep audit and risk expertise alongside first-hand experience of the transport sector,” he said.
“That combination will be particularly valuable as RSSB continues to support the railway through evidence based advice, assurance, and strong governance.”
Lanaghan said he was looking forward to supporting RSSB during a period of major industry transformation.
“At a time of significant change across the railway, I look forward to contributing to RSSB’s direction and to the effective stewardship of the organisation,” he said.
The appointment reflects the increasing focus being placed on governance, assurance and whole-system oversight as the industry moves towards the creation of Great British Railways.
RSSB has taken on an increasingly prominent strategic role over the past year, particularly around predictive safety insight, AI-enabled analytics, risk management and system integration. Its recent 2026–27 Business Plan placed a strong emphasis on using data and predictive intelligence to anticipate operational and safety risks before incidents occur.
For rail businesses and suppliers, the appointment signals continued emphasis on governance discipline and risk-led decision making across the sector. As rail reform progresses, organisations working across infrastructure, rolling stock, digital systems and operations are likely to face greater scrutiny around assurance, safety performance and value-for-money delivery.
Lanaghan’s background across regulated infrastructure sectors beyond rail may also prove significant as the industry increasingly looks to adopt governance and delivery models from energy, utilities and other major national infrastructure programmes.
