10
April 2024
Warren East appointed Chairman of NATS Board
UK air traffic services provider,
NATS, announces the appointment of Warren East as non-executive
Chair of the Board. He takes up his position on 1 September and
succeeds Dr. Paul Golby, who has served in the role for the last 10
years.
Mr East served as CEO of Rolls-Royce
between 2015 and 2022 and prior to this, spent almost 20 years with
ARM Holdings, the British microprocessor manufacturing, design and
software company, including 12 years as CEO. He is currently a
non-executive director for Tokamak Energy, C-Capture and ASML
Holding and a strategic advisor to Avina Clean Hydrogen. He has
previously served as a non-executive director with Dyson, Micron,
BT Group, Rolls-Royce and De La Rue.
Mr East said: "Aviation is vital to
our society and economy, and the essential infrastructure which
NATS provides underpins that important function. The next decade or
so brings huge challenge alongside multiple possibilities as the
sector faces the necessity of the energy transition together with
the opportunities presented by advancing technology. I'm delighted
to be joining NATS to work with the board and the NATS team as we
navigate through this exciting and crucial period."
Chief Executive Officer, Martin
Rolfe said: "We very much look forward to working with Warren. His
knowledge and insight into the aviation sector, the role of
critical UK infrastructure and the experience he has of
technology-led transformation will be enormously
valuable."
Dr. Golby joined the NATS board and
was appointed Chair in October 2014. During his tenure, the company
has made significant progress in the modernisation of both its
technology and the design and operation of UK airspace, laying the
foundation for much needed improvements in carbon emissions from
aviation. Notably, he helped ensure air traffic services continued
at all times during Covid-19 and a subsequent return to financial
stability in the years since.
Dr. Golby said: "It has been a
privilege to serve as Chair through some of the most difficult
times that NATS and the aviation sector as a whole have been
through. I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone
across the company - it is through their tireless efforts that the
UK has one of the very best air traffic services in the
world."
Mr Rolfe continued: "Paul brought a
blend of challenge and stability that the entire company has
appreciated enormously. His leadership of the board and strategic
guidance has helped us tackle the extraordinary challenges of the
pandemic and subsequent rebuilding of the sector. We have a lot to
thank him for and wish him well in the future."
About
NATS
NATS is the
UK's principal air navigation services provider and is split into
two main businesses, which provide two distinct
services:
·
NATS
(En Route) plc (NERL) - the regulated business, which provides air
traffic management services to aircraft within UK airspace and over
the eastern part of the North Atlantic; and
·
NATS
(Services) Ltd (NSL) - the unregulated business, which provides air
traffic control services at many of the UK's major airports (15
civil and 7 military airfields) and other airports
overseas.
NATS
provides aerodrome, data, engineering, capacity, efficiency and
environmental performance solutions to customers worldwide,
including airports, airlines, air traffic service providers and
governments.
NATS
handled 2.24m flights in the UK in the last financial year
(2022/23).
For more
information visit the NATS website at www.nats.aero