Our staff are led by a team of Executive Directors.
ORR's leadership team of Executive Directors is responsible for delivering the board's objectives and business plan, in line with our legal duties. They also ensure our people are motivated and equipped to deliver first rate safety and economic regulation, which drives better outcomes for consumers and the public.
Feras Alshaker - Interim Chief Executive
Feras became Interim Chief Executive of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in April 2026.
He has almost 20 years' experience in the rail industry, including ten years at ORR, where he has held a range of roles overseeing Britain's rail network and England's strategic road network. Before becoming Interim Chief Executive, he served as ORR's Director of Planning and Performance.
Prior to joining ORR, he held roles in rail operations and infrastructure, delivering franchise and business-improvement programmes.
As Chief Executive, he leads ORR in its role to protect the interests of rail and road users.
Feras is an executive member of the board.
Richard Hines - Director, railway safety
Richard is HM Chief Inspector of Railways and Director of Railway Safety at ORR. Richard leads our Railway Safety Directorate, which works to ensure duty holders across Britain’s rail industry manage health and safety risks effectively and meet their statutory duties.
Liz Herridge, Chief operating officer
Responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership across all of ORR's corporate operations, to enable the smooth running of the business and ensure ORR is equipped to offer an efficient, effective and value for money service to its stakeholders.
Liz Thornhill - General counsel
Liz is legal advisor to ORR’s Board and has responsibility for the legal team at the ORR. The team advises across all aspects of ORR's work, providing support and solutions to enable the organisation to operate effectively and efficiently. The team also manages the relationship with external lawyers.
Stephanie Tobyn, Director of strategy, policy and reform
Stephanie is responsible for overall strategic direction in the ORR and our role in rail reform.
She also leads on issues around access to the rail network, the licensing of rail operators, international policy, and our role in protecting rail passengers by monitoring and enforcing passenger-facing licence conditions as well as consumer law.
Will Godfrey, Director of economics, finance and markets
Will is responsible for periodic reviews and funding reviews in rail, financial reporting, economic analysis and ORR’s competition and markets functions. He is also leading ORR’s preparations for the new regulatory regime set out in the Highways (Financing) Bill.
Russell Grossman - Director of communications
As director of communications, Russell is responsible for furthering ORR’s good relations with staff, stakeholders and the media in explaining how ORR protects the interests of rail and road users, improving the safety, value and performance of railways and roads today and in the future. This includes ensuring alignment between ORR's business strategy and strategic communications, and how communication is used as a tool of effective regulation.
Graham Richards - Director, TfL analysis and interim director, planning and performance
Graham is responsible for examining what role ORR could play in any potential reforms to Transport for London’s (TfL) funding framework. He also leads on a range of specific, bespoke analysis.
Until a permanent CEO is recruited, Graham is also the interim director of planning and performance, with responsibility for holding Network Rail to account for its performance and its stewardship of the national railway network infrastructure, so as to drive a step change in whole industry performance and efficiency for the benefit of taxpayers, passengers and freight customers who rely on Britain’s railways. This also includes responsibility for monitoring whether the Government's Road Investment Strategy is being delivered in our role as the independent monitor of National Highways and its management of the strategic road network – the motorways and main 'A' roads in England.
ORR Executive team declarations of interests
Railway legislation and good corporate governance demands that all members of the ORR board or employees should declare any involvement where they have a financial or other personal interest that is likely to influence their performance of a particular function.
The ORR board rules of procedure include procedures for managing potential or perceived conflicts of interests, and the board's code of conduct.
The register of interests of Executive team members is reviewed at least annually and updated each time an individual's interests change.
Feras Alshaker, Executive Board Member, Interim Chief Executive, SCS3 Collapse accordion Open accordion
Outside employment
(Name of company and job title)
- n/a
Other regular sources of remuneration
(Occupational pensions or similar)
- n/a
Directorships
(All board level positions, whether executive or non-executive and in commercial, public or not for profit organisations)
- n/a
Memberships of public bodies / trusteeships / office holder of other bodies
(Unremunerated roles of responsibility)
- n/a
ORR appointment
- Highways Committee member
- Health and Safety Regulation Committee member
- Board member from 27 April 2026
Will Godfrey, Director, Economics, Finance and Markets, SCS2 Collapse accordion Open accordion
Outside employment
(Name of company and job title)
- n/a
Other regular sources of remuneration
(Occupational pensions or similar)
- n/a
Directorships
(All board level positions, whether executive or non-executive and in commercial, public or not for profit organisations)
- n/a
Memberships of public bodies / trusteeships / office holder of other bodies
(Unremunerated roles of responsibility)
- n/a
ORR Board / Committee appointment
- n/a
Russell Grossman, Director of Communications, SCS2 Collapse accordion Open accordion
Outside employment
(Name of company and job title)
- n/a
Other regular sources of remuneration
(Occupational pensions or similar)
- BBC pension
Directorships
(All board level positions, whether executive or non-executive and in commercial, public or not for profit organisations)
- Non Executive Director, Engage For Success (not for profit)
Memberships of public bodies / trusteeships / office holder of other bodies
(Unremunerated roles of responsibility)
- n/a
ORR Board / Committee appointment
- n/a
Liz Herridge, Chief Operating Officer, SCS2 Collapse accordion Open accordion
Outside employment
(Name of company and job title)
- n/a
Other regular sources of remuneration
(Occupational pensions or similar)
- n/a
Directorships
(All board level positions, whether executive or non-executive and in commercial, public or not for profit organisations)
- n/a
Memberships of public bodies / trusteeships / office holder of other bodies
(Unremunerated roles of responsibility)
- n/a
ORR Board / Committee appointment
- n/a
Richard Hines, Executive Board Member, Director, Railway Safety, SCS2 Collapse accordion Open accordion
Outside employment
(Name of company and job title)
- n/a
Other regular sources of remuneration
(Occupational pensions or similar)
- n/a
Directorships
(All board level positions, whether executive or non-executive and in commercial, public or not for profit organisations)
- n/a
Memberships of public bodies / trusteeships / office holder of other bodies
(Unremunerated roles of responsibility)
- Chair, Governors at St Clements High School
- Chair, UK Health and Safety Regulators Network
- Chair, Rail Safety Week steering group
ORR Board / Committee appointment
- Health and Safety Regulation Committee member from 27 June 2024.
- Board member from 27 June 2024.
Graham Richards, Director, TFL Analysis and Interim Director, Planning and Performance, SCS2 Collapse accordion Open accordion
Outside employment
(Name of company and job title)
- n/a
Other regular sources of remuneration
(Occupational pensions or similar)
- n/a
Directorships
(All board level positions, whether executive or non-executive and in commercial, public or not for profit organisations)
- n/a
Memberships of public bodies / trusteeships / office holder of other bodies
(Unremunerated roles of responsibility)
- n/a
ORR Board / Committee appointment
- Highways Committee member
Elizabeth Thornhill, General Counsel, SCS2 Collapse accordion Open accordion
Outside employment
(Name of company and job title)
- n/a
Other regular sources of remuneration
(Occupational pensions or similar)
- n/a
Directorships
(All board level positions, whether executive or non-executive and in commercial, public or not for profit organisations)
- Non-Executive Director, Government Actuary Department (Chair of the Audit, Risk & Assurance Committee).
Memberships of public bodies / trusteeships / office holder of other bodies
(Unremunerated roles of responsibility)
- n/a
ORR Board / Committee appointment
- Health and Safety Regulation Committee member
Stephanie Tobyn, Director, Strategy, Policy and Reform, SCS2 Collapse accordion Open accordion
Outside employment
(Name of company and job title)
- n/a
Other regular sources of remuneration
(Occupational pensions or similar)
- n/a
Directorships
(All board level positions, whether executive or non-executive and in commercial, public or not for profit organisations)
- n/a
Memberships of public bodies / trusteeships / office holder of other bodies
(Unremunerated roles of responsibility)
- n/a
ORR Board / Committee appointment
- n/a
ORR Deputy Director team declarations of interest
SCS1 Declaration of Interests Collapse accordion Open accordion
Name, Position at ORR / Grade, and Outside Employment (where declared):
- Paul Appleton, Deputy Director, Railway Safety
- Jake Brown, Deputy Director, Legal Services
- Richard Coates, Deputy Director, Railway Planning and Performance
- Stephen Fletcher, Deputy Director, Engineering and Asset Management
- Jennifer Genevieve, Deputy Director, Periodic Reviews and Monitoring (CAA Consumer Panel Member)
- Rachel Gittens, Deputy Director, Strategic Road Network
- Tim Griffiths, Deputy Director - Economics and Finance
- Scott Hamilton, Deputy Director, Regulatory Strategy & Reform
- Steve Helfet, Deputy Director, Railway Operations
- Martin Jones, Deputy Director, Access and International
- Sarah Shore, Deputy Director, Railway Safety
- Alex Sprott, Deputy Director, Railway Safety