AWE has appointed Andrew McNaughton as its new Executive Director, Fissile Programme and Emma-Jane Houghton as Commercial Director, Fissile Programme.
AWE is taking forward a multibillion-pound, multi-year infrastructure and capability programme comprising a mix of component manufacturing facilities and supporting infrastructure.
The facilities will be built at AWE’s Aldermaston site in West Berkshire and are fundamentally important to sustaining the United Kingdom’s Continuous at Sea Deterrent (CASD).
Alison Atkinson, AWE CEO, said: “To design, develop, build and commission this infrastructure and capability programme, we need to create an organisation staffed by exceptional talent. We need people who are not only technically brilliant, but that have the right attitude and values, and want to create a high performing, forward thinking organisation capable of rising to unique and complex challenges.
“I am delighted with the appointments of Andrew and Emma-Jane, who bring immense experience, knowledge and passion as we start to drive forward this hugely important programme.”
Julie Morris, Defence Nuclear Enterprise People and Skills Senior Responsible Owner: “Sustainment of CASD is dependent on having the right people, with the right skills and experience, to deliver the outputs that we need. These appointments further evidence the commitment of the organisations within the Defence Nuclear Enterprise to attract and secure the best talent to work on a range of exciting programmes and to ensure that the UK continues to be successful in this national endeavour.”
Andrew McNaughton said: “It is a great pleasure to be joining the leadership team of AWE as we move towards the delivery phase of an infrastructure programme that is nationally significant both in scale and purpose.
“In delivering this programme, there will be significant benefits created locally as well as across the UK through the development of enhanced industrial capacity which will be capable of supporting future nuclear endeavours.”
Emma-Jane Houghton said: “I am hugely excited to join AWE and be part of this programme, which will be vital to sustaining our nuclear deterrent and will create many opportunities in the UK construction supply chain.”
Andrew McNaughton
Andrew McNaughton has over 35 years’ experience of delivering major infrastructure in the UK and overseas. From June 2016, Andrew served as Chief Operating Officer of the Systra Group, a French headquartered company with 7,000 employees specialising in transport engineering and consultancy services. Andrew’s previous positions include Director of Engineering and Construction for Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay Plc and Chief Executive Officer of Balfour Beatty plc. Andrew has stepped down from his role as Non-Executive Director on the AWE Board.
Emma-Jane Houghton
Emma-Jane Houghton is an experienced commercial specialist who has worked across the full end-to-end construction supply chain, including subcontractor, contractor and client positions. Emma-Jane has previously held roles at Heathrow Terminal 5, East London Line, Thameslink, a range of regulated UK utility entities and Heathrow Expansion. Prior to joining AWE, Emma-Jane was Senior Commercial Director within the Cabinet Office, most recently seconded to the New Hospital Programme.
The Commercial Director, Fissile Programme is responsible for leading on all commercial activity attributed to the Fissile Programme taking strategic responsibility for all long-term commercial agreements.