The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) has today announced the appointment of Becky Wood as its new chief executive officer.

She will formally take up her role in June this year.

Wood is currently a partner at consultancy firm EY and prior to that was a commercial advisor at the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.

For 10-years Wood oversaw major infrastructure developments at the Department for Transport, serving as the senior responsible officer for the Crossrail, Thameslink and Intercity Express programmes.

She also has valuable international experience, having worked on significant infrastructure programmes across both public and private sectors in Australia and New Zealand.

She is also a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

With extensive experience in infrastructure leadership, particularly in the UK transport and international sectors, the government says Wood will bring significant expertise, skills and knowledge to the role.

She said: “It is an honour to be appointed to a role that has so much potential to make a vital difference to the everyday lives of people across the UK, ensuring robust delivery of infrastructure and enabling growth.  I am very much looking forward to joining the team in June.”

Last October, chief secretary to the treasury Darren Jones announced plans to create a new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), bringing together the former Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) and National Infrastructure Commission (NIC).

Formally launched at the beginning of this month, NISTA will look to fix the foundations of the infrastructure system by bringing strategy and delivery under one roof, addressing the systemic delivery challenges that the government says have stunted growth for decades.

NITA’s remit includes supporting delivery of roads, railways, schools and hospitals. It will also help overcome the barriers to delivery of UK infrastructure, as well as provide expertise on private finance and implementing the 10-year infrastructure strategy.

Darren Jones, chief secretary to the treasury, said: “I am delighted that Becky is going to lead NISTA as the new CEO, she brings a wealth of experience from the public and private sector overseeing some of the biggest transport projects around the world in the past decade.

“Her appointment is an important milestone for NISTA’s work in getting a grip on infrastructure delivery, powering growth across the country and delivering on our Plan for Change.”

Last week, it was announced a new Council of Expert Advisors had been set up to support the work of NISTA.

Sam Gould, the ICE’s director of policy and external affairs, welcomed the appointment and added: “The recent launch of NISTA marks an exciting opportunity to bridge the gap between strategic needs and delivering infrastructure that will benefit the public.

“Becky Wood, an ICE Fellow with extensive experience in infrastructure leadership, will bring valuable expertise to the role.

“The ICE looks forward to working with Becky to ensure that the new body delivers the infrastructure the UK needs.”