The Chief Executive Officer undertakes the day-to-day management of NATS with support from the executive team, who are responsible for the management of business within their areas of accountability in the two parts of the business, NATS En-route Ltd (NERL) and NATS Services Ltd (NSL). The focus of work at this level is on strategy development and performance management.
Paul Barron CBE: Chief Executive Officer, NATS
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Paul was appointed Chief Executive Officer of NATS in June 2004. He was previously Managing Director, Transport UK and Country President for Alstom UK. He was responsible for the day-to-day management of all aspects of the company's transport business in the UK, with 7,000 employees and an annual turnover of €2bn. He helped restructure Alstom’s UK business, selling its gas turbine activities to Siemens and its transmission and distribution business to Areva.
Paul is a Director of UK Trade & Investment, a body co-sponsored by the DTI/ FCO to assist the export of UK business; and a member of the CBI President's Committee. He is a past member of the UK Task Force on Competitiveness and a former Chairman of the Energies Industries Council. He was formerly Chairman of the Motorsport Development Board. In 2000 he was appointed CBE for services to the gas turbine industry.
Born in Lincoln in 1951, Paul Barron started working life as an engineering apprentice, rising through the ranks to become Managing Director of Ruston Gas Turbines, a position he held for 15 years.
Gretchen Burrett: Director of Safety, NATS
Gretchen is an internationally recognised expert in human factors, and respected throughout the industry for her knowledge and leadership of safety performance. As Director of Safety at NATS, Gretchen has championed and given focus to those activities that provide front-line operational safety benefits. She has also worked to increase partnership within the global aviation safety community and is chair of the CANSO Safety Steering Group.
Prior to joining NATS, she worked in nuclear certification and safety of intercontinental ballistic missiles, joint airworthiness trials for military aircraft, design and development of defence systems, and as an expert advisor to NATO on human performance and safety-critical systems.
Gretchen has a strong aviation background, having served in the US Air Force, flown jet and piston aircraft, and led a multi-national team of test pilots and aircraft designers through the development and execution of a new approach to operational performance and safety certification.
Nigel Fotherby: Finance Director, NATS
Nigel joined NATS in October 1999 as Finance Director.
He previously worked for Lex Service plc as Finance Director of its retail group and then for BT Cellnet, where he was Deputy Finance Director. Nigel began his career with Coopers & Lybrand where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
NERL Executive Team
NATS En-Route Limited is one of the two businesses which make up NATS. NERL is the regulated provider of UK and North Atlantic air traffic services licensed to managed operations until 2010.
Services are provided from two Air Traffic Control (ATC) centres based in Prestwick in Ayrshire, and Swanwick in Hampshire. NERL also provides services and support infrastructure to the MoD for military Air Traffic Services.
NERL has more than 3,500 controllers, air traffic assistants, engineers and support staff based across the UK.
Paul Barron CBE: Chief Executive, NERL
As Chief Executive Officer for NATS, Paul also fulfils the role as Chief Executive for NERL.
Gretchen Burrett: Director of Safety, NERL
As overall Director of Safety for NATS, Gretchen also takes on the role of Director of Safety for NERL.
Nigel Fotherby: Finance Director, NERL
As Finance Director for NATS, Nigel also fulfils the role as Finance Director for NERL.
Philip James: Human Resources Director
Philip was appointed NATS' Human Resources Director in December 2002. A Chartered Occupational Psychologist, he has over 25 years’ experience in personnel management and joined NATS in 1990 to set up an HR planning function, subsequently holding various senior appointments within the HR department.
Before joining NATS Philip held a number of posts in the electricity supply industry, the BBC and GEC.
Ian Hall: Director, Development and Investment
Ian is spearheading the future of NATS, whilst ensuring coherence across all of our business strategies. He is accountable for the development of future concepts of operation and technology, including Functional Airspace Blocks and SESAR; for new airspace designs; for identifying available technologies and ensuring that new technology is aligned with our operating strategy. He is also be accountable for leading all our work on consultation and developing partnerships with other European ANSPs to increase capacity and improve efficiency.
He is an air traffic controller by background and has served in a variety of roles within the company in both operational and management capacities.
Ian Mills: Chief Operating Officer
Ian is responsible for our day-to-day operations; and for continuing to set new standards in safety management throughout the operations. He is also accountable for ensuring that our centres are at the heart of our decision-making; for improving the integration between our centres and engineering, as well as focussing on developing closer working relationships with our customers in order to improve service delivery; for achieving improved efficiencies through the implementation of new tools and technologies and ensuring that our cost efficiency plans are driven from the centres.
An experienced General Manager and Projects Director, Ian has spent over 20 years in operations and project management servicing the power, water and transportation industries. Ian trained as a Control and Instrumentation Engineer in the power sector, and joined Alstom Transport in 1997 as a Project Manager, becoming Operations Director in charge of businesses in Europe, Africa and South America. Ian developed project management methodology for the transportation sector, and is widely acknowledged as an expert in project management development and deployment.
Rachael Reid: Director, Corporate, Customer and Environmental Affairs
Rachael is responsible for customer affairs; for developing and driving forward NATS' environmental strategy; for internal and external communications, and for corporate affairs and branding.
Prior to joining NATS and the Executive team in April 2003, Rachael has held a number of senior corporate affairs and communications roles in the utilities, oil & gas and aerospace sectors in the UK, Norway and the USA.
Richard Churchill-Coleman: General Counsel and Company Secretary
Richard started his career as an aeronautical engineer before qualifying as a solicitor. His interest in all things aviation led him to various legal positions with international airlines and an expert knowledge of aviation law. Before joining NATS, he was Group Legal Counsel for the TUI UK group of companies.
Anne Lambert, European and Government Affairs Director
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Anne Lambert is the first Director, European and Government Affairs for NATS. She is responsible for developing strategies to engage both UK and European stakeholders in delivering ATM solutions which meet airline needs. Anne has 30 years’ experience in the UK Civil Service with particular expertise in regulation and in EU affairs. She has held senior positions with the DTI, OFTEL and two postings with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in Brussels. Her most recent position of UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the European Union in Brussels included responsibility for aviation.
NSL Executive Management Team
NATS Services Limited is the other main business centre for NATS. NSL provides airport services, develops wider relationships with the Ministry of Defence and seeks to maximise ATC opportunities across the world. NSL is the part of the company which is not under economic regulation and has been managed for some time as a commercial business focusing on safety, service and increasing value for our customers.
The NSL mission is to defend and expand its core UK business base, whilst improving profits and developing business overseas. Its customers include 18 airports across the UK, including Gibraltar.
Lawrence Hoskins: Chief Executive, NSL
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In August 2007, Lawrence was named Chief Executive of NATS Services Limited (NSL) after joining NATS in 2004 as Commercial Director. He brought with him a 30-year track record in industry in a variety of roles and responsibilities and significant international experience and exposure.
Following a degree in economics, Lawrence started his career with Plessey Telecommunications in international sales and contract management. He subsequently held a variety of commercial, project and sales roles in GEC and GEC Alstom Power Engineering companies before becoming Managing Director of European Gas Turbines in the UK in 1994.
Paul Reid, Chief Operating Officer, NSL
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Paul re-joined NSL this September as Chief Operating Officer accountable for the safe delivery of all established business activities.
Paul began his career in NATS aged 19, graduating from Hurn as top cadet. Paul validated at Glasgow on tower and approach, before becoming a Watch manager. Originally from Scotland he moved south to become a controller at Heathrow. Paul moved into management positions and has been Manager Air Traffic Services, London City; General Manager Gatwick and General Manager Swanwick.
Guy Adams, Finance Director, NSL
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Guy has worked in NATS for over 10 years. He has previously held a number of senior finance roles including the Head of Corporate Finance and Planning for NATS Group and latterly the Head of Finance for NERL. Immediately prior to joining NATS Guy was the Deputy Director of Finance for a major NHS Trust Hospital. Guy trained and qualified as an accountant after leaving university with a social sciences degree.
Steve Williamson, Director of Safety, NSL
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Steve Williamson has recently been appointed as Director of Safety for NSL. He was previously Head of Operations for NSL accountable for all aspects of ATC, engineering and support. This role involved co-ordinating the safety, operational performance and management accountability for all 16 airports NSL provides services to, and the associated headquarters and engineering organisation.
Steve has over 34 years’ experience of ATC for NATS and has worked in managerial roles at Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Heathrow. Steve began his career as a controller based at Birmingham airport.
Sarah Stacey, HR Director, NSL
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Sarah has worked in a variety of HR roles for the AA and Centrica before joining NATS. She has extensive HR experience associated with developing businesses, organisational development and change and employee engagement.
Des McKeon, Commercial Director, NSL
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Des joined NSL from Nortel, where he was Business Development Director for Nortel’s Global Services business. He will provide commercial, contract and business support to all parts of the NSL organisation. He has extensive commercial and sales experience gained from his various roles with Nortel, and previously BT, BAE and BA.