Beth West takes up new post this week

The former managing director of Balfour Beatty’s southern arm has been named as the new chief executive of East West Rail.

Beth West is succeeding Simon Blanchflower who is retiring today (31 March), formally taking over tomorrow (1 April).

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Beth West has also worked at Landsec and TfL

The new East West Rail will connect areas between Oxford and Cambridge including Bedford, Milton Keynes, Bletchley and Bicester.

West has spent the past year consulting after leaving Balfour more than a year ago. 

The country’s biggest contractor rejigged its regional construction business early last year with the then-new UK construction boss Mark Bullock taking the axe to its southern business and merging it into its North and Midlands arm.

The move meant West, who was recruited from Landsec just 12 months before, left at the end of January 2021, with her departure closely following that of London managing director Graham Hill.

Her other previous positions include being commercial director for HS2, head of development for Landsec and nine years in several roles at Transport for London.

According to East West’s accounts, Blanchflower was paid £224,400 in 2020/21.

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