HS2 Ltd has appointed former Bouygues UK chair and chief executive Fabienne Viala as a non-executive director, marking a further step to reinforce leadership and oversight of the high-speed rail project.
Viala, who left Bouygues’ UK construction arm last year, is among six new non-executive directors joining the HS2 Ltd board following a recruitment campaign led by the Department for Transport. Her appointment was confirmed via a Companies House filing earlier this month.
She formally took up the role on 3 December, alongside Heidelberg Materials chief executive Simon Willis and civil engineer Neil Reynolds. Three further appointments are scheduled for 1 January, with former MTR UK chief executive Stephen Murphy, ex-Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority non-executive director Anna McMeel, and former Network Rail executive Rob McIntosh all set to join.
The new appointments follow recommendations made in the James Stewart review, published in June, which highlighted gaps in board-level capability at HS2 Ltd, particularly around commercial management, safety and systems integration.
Viala brings more than 35 years’ experience spanning infrastructure, energy and construction. She spent eight years leading Bouygues’ UK business, serving as chair from 2016 before being promoted to chief executive in 2023. According to a government statement, she has “led complex, high-value programmes in regulated environments” and has a strong track record in driving transformation and embedding sustainability.
HS2 Ltd chair Mike Brown said: “I’m delighted to welcome six brilliant additions to the HS2 Ltd board who will significantly strengthen our leadership and oversight of the project at such a crucial moment.
“All six are leaders in their field and will ensure that the board has the right balance of skills and experience to effectively drive the HS2 reset.”
The incoming non-executive directors replace Joanna Davinson and Stephen Hughes, who stepped down from the board on 2 December.
Image credit: HS2
