Westlake appointed as Network Rail finance chief

Network Rail has appointed Jeremy Westlake as chief financial officer. He was due to start his new role on February 15.

Westlake was previously senior vice-president of finance at Alstom Transport in France. He replaces Patrick Butcher, who left NR to become chief finance officer at Go-Ahead Group.

Westlake will report to NR Chief Executive Mark Carne and will sit on the board as an executive director.

Carne said: “As a taxpayer-funded organisation, we have a responsibility to deliver a railway that is not only safe and reliable but also efficient. Our chief financial officer has a vital role to play to make sure that Network Rail provides the best possible value to all our customers and that we have the plans and funding in place to deliver the railway Britain needs for the future.”