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What members do

Network Rail is a company limited by guarantee, an organisation operating as a commercial business and with a plc-style board of directors – but it is without shareholders. The Network Rail members fulfil the role of shareholders, holding the board to account for the quality of its governance. They do not, however, receive dividends or have equity interest, as Network Rail is a not-for-dividend company and any profit is re-invested in improving Britain’s rail infrastructure. Members do not receive payment for their services, but are afforded reasonable expenses for the execution of their duties.

Members play a crucial role in the company’s corporate governance and have statutory rights and duties. These include: attending the company’s annual general meeting; voting on the appointment and re-appointment of Network Rail directors; and receiving Network Rail’s annual report and accounts.

Why Network Rail has appointed new public members

The original 113 members were appointed in 2002, soon after Network Rail became the rail infrastructure operator. The total number fluctuates depending on the number of rail companies eligible as industry members. Each year about one third of the public members’ term of appointment expires. This allows for a staggered process of future member appointment, providing continuity and stability by avoiding a situation where all membership terms expired at the same time. Existing public members were eligible to re-apply.

The selection process

Following an open and widely-advertised campaign for applicants, Network Rail has today announced its completion of the selection process for appointment of the new public members who start their term of membership on 26 November 2010.

An independent membership selection panel selected from applications and recommended to the Network Rail board individuals whom it considered had the appropriate abilities and experience to be appointed as public members. In line with its stated policy, the board accepted the panel's recommendations unanimously.

The independent panel

Elizabeth McMeikan, chair of the panel from January 2010, a former Civil Service Commissioner (between 2005 and 2010). Currently a non-executive director of J D Wetherspoon plc acting on a number of its board committees - remuneration, nominations and audit. She is also a non-executive director of Direct Wines Ltd, chairing its remuneration committee, and Fresca Group Ltd. Between 2004 and 2006 she was a member of the Insolvency Services steering board. Formerly she spent 12 years in a wide variety of commercial roles within Tesco plc ranging from marketing, business development through to human resources responsibilities.

Catherine Bell, a non-executive director of the Civil Aviation Authority, Ensus Ltd and United Utilities plc. Formerly acting permanent secretary at the Department of Trade and Industry in 2005; she is currently chair of the property trustees of the Civil Service benevolent fund and a governor of the London School of Economics.

Sheila Drew Smith, a non-executive board member of the Audit Commission for England, chair of the audit committee of the Infrastructure Planning Commission and a board member of London Thames Gateway Development Corporation.

Previous positions have included board member of the Housing Corporation, Ordnance Survey, chair of Tower Hamlets Housing Action Trust, chair of Broadmoor Hospital, partnership at Deloitte Haskins & Sells/Cooper & Lybrand (during which she was involved in work restructuring recently privatised utilities); economic adviser in HM Treasury - financial management unit; membership of the Department for Health and Social Security and Manpower Services Commission and economist at the National Coal Board.

The new public members

Full list of public members from 26 November:

Jonathan Abbott, Tim Anderson, Mohammed Aslam, Hugh Becker, Tony Berkeley, Anthony Bicknell, Nigel Bicknell*, Tracey Bleakley, Jonathan Bray, Elizabeth Burnley, Noel Burton, Peter Bury, Geof Butterwick, David Campbell, Jeremy Candfield, Peter Corbett, Katherine Deas, Arnab Dutt, Carolyn Dwyer, Mark Fisher, Louise Fluker, Peter Garland, David Gartside, Stephen Grant, Stephen Greep, Christopher Hasty, Rhys Jarvis, David Jennings, Ian Johnson, Samson Kambarami, Olek Keenan, Richard Lambert, Joan Langley, Patricia Leahy, Susannah Lloyd, Alan Lodge, Andrew Lowery, Subash Ludhra, Bill Matthews, Peter John McIntyre, Deryk Mead, Neil Menzies*, Andrew Millward, David Moore, Helen Munro, David Pemberton, David Pett, Richard Poppleston, Clare Potter, Robert Purdy, Jean-Pierre Ramirez, Simon Reed, John Richardson, Bob Rixham, William Robinson, Anthony Roche, Jon Round, Ted Sangster, Geoffrey Sallis, Ramnik Saund, Margaret Serna, Trevor Shears, George Taylor, Ralph Tiffin, Sara Vaughan, Peter Waller, Kevin Williams*, Nina Wrightson

*= existing member re-appointed.

Full list of current industry members:

ALSTOM Transport, Amey Rail Ltd, Arriva Trains Wales Ltd, Babcock Rail, Balfour Beatty Rail Ltd, Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd, c2c rail Ltd, Carillion Construction Ltd, Colas Rail Ltd, DB Schenker, Department for Transport, Eurostar (UK) Ltd, First Greater Western Ltd, Freightliner Ltd, Heathrow Express Operating Company Ltd, London & North Western Railway Company Ltd, London Underground Ltd, Southern Railway Ltd, Northern Rail Ltd, Pre Metro Operations Ltd, Serco Ltd, Siemens Plc, Stagecoach South Western Trains Ltd, Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive, VolkerRail Ltd, West Coast Railway Company Ltd, West Coast Trains Ltd.