Mark Thurston
Mark John Thurston (born 2 January 1967)[1] is a British electrical engineer and businessman. He was chief executive of the High Speed 2 railway construction project from March 2017 to September 2023.
Early life
[edit]Thurston was born in the London Borough of Sutton. He has a younger brother (born 1969). He lived in Carshalton, Surrey and attended The Wallington High School for Boys in his senior school years.[2]
From the College of North West London in 1983–1987 he gained a Higher National Certificate in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. He attended Loughborough University from 1999 to 2001 gaining an MSc in Engineering Management.[3] In 2021, the University awarded him an honorary degree of Doctor of Technology.[4]
Career
[edit]Thurston began his career as an apprentice with Transport for London.[5] He later worked for Metronet. In June 2008, he joined CH2M as head of structures, bridges and highways, working on both Crossrail and London 2012.[6][3]
On 26 January 2017 Thurston was appointed chief executive of High Speed 2.[7][8] In 2022-2023 he was the highest paid of all UK public sector employees.[9] Thurston went on to become the longest serving chief executive for High Speed 2, and stayed on until 2023 when he announced his resignation and then left the project in September of that year.[10][11]
Thurston was appointed as visiting professor of Complex Project and Programme Leadership at his alma mater, Loughborough University, in 2021.[3]
Personal life
[edit]Thurston lives in Coulsdon, Surrey. He married Amanda Warrilow in April 1994. They have two daughters (born June 1996 and September 1998).[1][additional citation(s) needed]
See also
[edit]- Sir David Higgins, Chairman of HS2
- High-speed rail in the United Kingdom
References
[edit]- ^ a b Collingridge, John (26 July 2020). "HS2's Mark Thurston: my £660,000 pay is a fact of life". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ "Distinguished Alumni". Wallington County Grammar School. Archived from the original on 15 July 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ a b c "Chief Executive of HS2 joins Loughborough University as a Visiting Professor". Loughborough University. 2 February 2021. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "Honorary Graduates and University Medallists | Graduation | Loughborough University". www.lboro.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
- ^ Robinson, Dan (26 January 2017). "Meet the man who will be responsible for bringing HS2 to Nottinghamshire". Nottingham Post. Archived from the original on 26 January 2017.
- ^ "Mark Thurston appointed as European Managing Director for CH2M HILL". 23 October 2014. Archived from the original on 18 May 2017.
- ^ Simpson, Jack (30 January 2017). "Who is Mark Thurston?". Construction News. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "HS2 announces new CEO". UK Government. 26 January 2017. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- ^ Topham, Gwyn (26 September 2023). "Are HS2 bosses really 'kids with the golden credit card'?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- ^ Middleton, Joe (12 July 2023). "HS2 chief executive resigns from delayed and scaled-back rail project". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- ^ Lancefield, Neil (29 September 2023). "HS2 boss resigns amid speculation of further cuts". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
