The National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) has announced the appointment of Mary Grant, Chief Executive Officer of Porterbrook, as its new Board Chair.
With a distinguished career spanning over 30 years in the UK and international transport sector, Mary Grant brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role. She has held senior leadership positions at prominent organisations such as FirstGroup Plc, National Express Plc, ScotRail, and Eurostar.
As CEO of Porterbrook since 2017, Mary has spearheaded a strategic transformation, securing significant investments, driving innovation, and achieving industry-leading sustainability goals. Her commitment to people development has been instrumental in fostering a high-performance culture.
Mary has served as a Director on the NSAR Board since 2018, actively contributing to the academy’s mission to inspire and train the next generation of rail professionals. She succeeds Dyan Perry OBE, Chief Executive Officer of High Speed 1, who has stepped down after a rigorous recruitment process.
Mary Grant says: “The National Skills Academy for Rail plays a vitally important role inspiring and training young men and women to give them the very best start in their railway careers. I’m honoured to take up the position of Board Chair to further support Neil and his team to deliver the academy’s mission, and to ensure that UK rail’s most exciting days are ahead of us, not behind.”
Neil Robertson, NSAR Chief Executive, says: “Mary is a longtime supporter of skills, training and supporting the next generation into rail careers. The NSAR Board and I are delighted that someone of Mary’s calibre will be leading NSAR through the next stages of our development and as we work to support the industry through reform and skills challenges. I look forward to working with Mary in her new capacity as Board Chair.”
