Becky Wood has been named as the head of the super infrastructure body that will deliver new roads, schools and hospitals to support the government’s target of building 1.5 million homes over the next five years.  

Wood will become the chief executive of the new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, which was set up earlier this month. 

The body is the result of the merger of the National Infrastructure Commission and the Infrastructure and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, in a bid to deliver large projects at pace. 

The Treasury says the new body “will help overcome the barriers to delivery of UK infrastructure, as well as provide expertise on private finance and implementing the 10-year infrastructure strategy”. 

Wood is currently a partner at the consultancy firm EY, and before that was a Commercial Advisor at the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. 

Prior to that, at the Department for Transport, she served as the senior responsible officer for the Crossrail, Thameslink and Intercity Express programmes.   

She has also overseen major projects across the public and private sectors in Australia and New Zealand. 

Wood takes up her new post in June. 

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones, says: “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.” 

Woods adds: “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.”