Stephen Nelson appointed Chief Executive of BAA
BAA plc, the international airport group, today announced the appointment of
Stephen Nelson as Chief Executive of the company.
Mr Nelson succeeds Mike Clasper CBE, who is stepping down as Chief Executive
with immediate effect. Mr Clasper will continue to act as an adviser to BAA
during the next year.
Stephen Nelson, 43, joined BAA in September 2005 from J Sainsbury plc, where he
was Marketing Director and a member of its Operating Board. He became a member
of the BAA plc Board in April.
Prior to joining Sainsbury, Stephen had a number of roles at Diageo, including
Managing Director of Guinness Great Britain and President of Diageo (North
America) South West. He has also worked at Thorn EMI and OC&C strategy
consultants.
BAA also confirmed yesterday that Marcus Agius, who has been Chairman of the
BAA Board since 2002, will continue in that role. Mr Agius said:
"We recruited Stephen Nelson to BAA last year because of his track record in
demanding commercial situations and because of his qualities as a leader. We
saw him then as a potential successor to Mike Clasper. Now that Mike has
decided that this is the right time for him to leave BAA, Stephen is exactly
the right person to build upon Mike's substantial achievements."
Juan Béjar, CEO, Ferrovial Infraestructeras, said: "Mike Clasper leaves BAA
with our best wishes for the future. I am confident that Stephen will do an
outstanding job leading BAA's talented senior management team at a time when
the company is well placed to build on the opportunities created by its
leadership position in the airport industry."
BAA also announced yesterday that Tony Douglas, the man who has led the admired
£4.5 billion Terminal 5 construction programme, has been appointed CEO of
Heathrow and will also join the BAA board. Tony Douglas, 43, joined BAA in 1998
after a previous career which included senior roles with British Aerospace and
Kenwood plc. He became Managing Director of Heathrow in March 2006.
In addition, Luis Sánchez Salmerón, Managing Director Ferrovial Aeropuertos,
and a member of the BAA Board, is to take up the position of Deputy Chief
Executive of BAA. He will be responsible for the interface between BAA and its
new shareholders.
Completing the Board restructure, the following directors will step down from
the BAA Board, but will remain on the company's Executive Committee: Mick
Temple, Divisional Director; Tony Ward, Services Director; and Mike Toms,
Planning and Regulatory Affairs Director.
Stephen Nelson said: "With the opening of T5 just over 18 months away and our
plans for Heathrow East and a second runway at Stansted progressing well, there
couldn't be a more exciting time to take over the leadership of BAA. I look
forward to working with our new owners and with all our stakeholders. Our
mission at BAA continues to be the responsible and profitable growth of the
business. My ambition will be to take the company to new heights of
achievement."
For further information on BAA plc see www.baa.com
Media enquiries: Mark Mann, BAA plc
Tel: +44 (0)20 7932 6609
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Airport Development and Investment Limited, a consortium led by Grupo
Ferrovial, took control of BAA on 26 June 2006.
The full membership of the BAA plc Board is as follows: Marcus Agius, Chairman;
Stephen Nelson, Chief Executive; Tony Douglas, CEO Heathrow; Margaret Ewing,
Chief Finance Officer; Luis Sánchez Salmerón, Deputy Chief Executive; Juan
Bejar, CEO Ferrovial Infraestructuras; JoaquÃn Ayuso GarcÃa, CEO of Grupo
Ferrovial S.A; Nicolás Villén Jimenez , CFO Grupo Ferrovial S.A; José MarÃa
Pérez Tremps, a director and legal counsel of Grupo Ferrovial S.A; Lucas Osorio
Iturmendi, legal counsel of Ferrovial Infraestructuras S.A; Ghislain Gauthier,
Senior Vice President, Investment, Infrastructure and Energy, CDP Capital;
Macky Tall, Investment Manager, Infrastructure and Services, CDP Capital;
Robert Coté, Vice President, CDP Capital; and Aug Eng Seng, Head of GIC
Government of Singapore Investment Corporation.
The full membership of the BAA Executive Committee is as follows: Stephen
Nelson, Chief Executive; Margaret Ewing, Chief Finance Officer; Tony Douglas;
CEO Heathrow; Luis Sánchez Salmerón, Executive Director; Mick Temple,
Divisional Director; Tony Ward, Services Director; Mike Toms, Planning and
Regulatory Affairs Director; Donal Dowds, Divisional Director; Duncan Garrood,
Divisional Director; Peter Blausten, Human Resources Director and Ian
Hargreaves, Corporate and Public Affairs Director. As announced in October 2005
Mike Toms will retire from BAA in October. From September 1, his
responsibilities for regulation will be assumed by Ian Hargreaves, who becomes
Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Director.
Andrew Jurenko, Chairman, BAA Lynton & Managing Director, BAA International,
will, by prior agreement, shortly retire. He steps down from the Executive
Committee on 1 September 2006.
END
© 2006 PR Newswire
