Network Rail has appointed Ismail Amla and Stephen Duckworth OBE as non-executive directors to its Board, effective from 1 April 2021.
Ismail and Stephen have considerable experience in both the public and private sectors, and join the Network Rail Board having held various senior positions in Britain and abroad.
Ismail Amla
Having lived in the USA for nearly a decade, Ismail has extensive international experience helping leading brands and disruptive start-ups across multiple industries, including rail infrastructure, leverage emerging technologies.
Ismail is currently the Chief Growth Officer at Capita, having previously led the North American Services business for IBM out of New York. Prior to IBM, Ismail was CEO for the consulting firm Capco in North America, and before that was a member of the leadership team for Accenture in the UK.
Ismail is passionate about harnessing the power of diversity and in ensuring that technology is used as a force for good in bridging inequality.
Stephen Duckworth OBE
Stephen founded and ran Disability Matters Limited, a research and consultancy business with expertise in health and safety, sustainability and diversity with an emphasis on access and mobility.
Stephen sits on the Boards of several organisations and has held numerous advisory roles to Government, in addition to an extensive body of international work across various EU states, the US, China, New Zealand, Australia, India, South Africa and the Middle East. He has also been listed in the Power 100 of the most influential disabled people in Britain.
As a wheelchair user who regularly travels by train, Stephen has a keen interest in the railway and accessibility, and has previously carried out consultancy work with Southwest Trains and Eurostar.
Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Chair of Network Rail, said “I am pleased to welcome Ismail and Stephen, and the Board and I look forward to the important contributions they will make to the organisation in the months and years ahead.”
The Secretary of State for Transport has also consented to Network Rail re-appointing Mike Putnam and David Noyes on the Board.
