Announcing the appointment, Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said:
"John Armitt will be an outstanding leader of a world class team at the Olympic Delivery Authority. He has a formidable amount of experience in engineering and construction, and is so well placed to lead an organisation charged with delivering one of the biggest and most complex building and regeneration projects this country has ever seen.
“I am confident that under John’s leadership, the ODA will ensure that London 2012 will be remembered not only for fantastic sport, but also inspiring venues, a legacy of world class sporting facilities, and the regeneration of one of the most deprived areas of the UK.
“I would also like to pay tribute to the excellent work that Sir Roy McNulty has done as Acting Chair since October. Under his stewardship the ODA has gone from strength to strength and is now in an excellent position to meet the next challenges ahead. I am delighted that Roy will continue as Deputy Chair.”
Mr Armitt has been Chief Executive of Network Rail since October 2002. A civil engineer by training, he was previously Chief Executive of Costain Group and Union Railways.
Mr Armitt said:
“It is a tremendous honour to be appointed Chair of the Olympic Delivery Authority. The Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 will be the most exciting event to take place in this country in our lifetime.
“The ODA has a critical part to play in delivering the venues and infrastructure, not just for the Games but for generations to come. It has made a very good start to this hugely challenging project and I look forward to providing leadership as the programme now moves to the next stage.”
Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, said:
'We have always been committed to building the best team to deliver the venues for 2012 and John Armitt's extensive construction experience on major infrastructure projects will be invaluable towards achieving our goal of staging the greatest games ever and transforming East London and the lives of all the communities that live there. I look forward to working with John over the next exciting and challenging few years.
'I would also like to thank Sir Roy for his tremendous work as Acting Chair and am pleased that we will continue to be able to draw on his great management expertise as ODA Deputy Chair.
Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) said:
“John and the experience he brings with him will be a great addition to the team and I am looking forward to working closely with him over the coming years. Together with the ODA we have achieved some exceptional milestones in our first full year of planning.
“With John on board and the continuity that Roy McNulty brings we are confident that the momentum will be maintained as we move into the building phase of the Olympic Park.”
The ODA has met all its major milestones to date and recently published a new set of targets it is aiming to achieve by the time of the 2008 Beijing Games next summer. This phase - called ‘Demolish, Dig, Design’ - includes the cleaning up and clearing of the Olympic Park site, the building of bridges and roads, improvements of transport links, and preparations for venue construction.
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Notes to editors
1. Mr Armitt will take up the position as ODA Chair on 1 September 2007, and prior to that will begin to familiarise himself with the organisation. Sir Roy McNulty will remain Acting Chair until Mr Armitt takes over and then will revert to Deputy Chair.
2. Mr Armitt has been Chief Executive of Network Rail since October 2002, and will stand down in July 2007. Before that he was Chief Executive of Railtrack PLC since December 2001. He spent much of his career in the construction industry, working for John Laing in various roles from 1966-1993 and was Chief Executive of Costain Group plc from 1997-2001. During his career Mr Armitt worked on major projects in the UK and around the world, including: power stations, oil rigs, petrol-chemical plants, airports, roads, bridges and hospitals. In 1993 he was appointed Chief Executive of Union Railways, the company responsible for the Channel Tunnel rail link, and in 1997 he was awarded a CBE for his contribution to the rail industry. Mr Armitt is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
3. Mr Armitt’s appointment has been made in accordance with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice.
4. All public appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity to be made public. Mr Armit has not declared any political activity in the last five years.
5. The post is part time, and will be remunerated at £250,000 for a 3.5 day per week commitment. Mr Armitt will serve a five year term.
6. Mr Armitt holds one other public appointment in the UK, as chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). His term runs from 1 April 2007 for four years. This post is remunerated at £15,410 per annum for a 24 day per year commitment.
7. The ODA is the delivery body responsible for creating the infrastructure for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London in 2012, as well as undertaking some operational work while the Games are underway, such as provision of transport.
8. The document ‘Demolish, Dig, Design’ is available on the London 2012 website.
9. The London Olympic Games will run from 27 July 2012 until 12 August. 2012. The Paralympic Games will run from 29 August until 9 September 2012.
10. The ODA intend to facilitate a media opportunity with Mr Armitt shortly.
