The Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO), the UK’s regulator
of non-competitive defence contracts, has today announced the
appointment of John Russell as its new Chief Executive.
John will join the SSRO from Ofwat, where he is a Senior
Director. He has widespread experience of high profile private
and public sector roles in UK and global infrastructure sectors,
including at H M Treasury, the Department of Energy and Climate
Change, Infrastructure UK, and Royal Dutch Shell.
John will take up his post on 1 July 2023.
Hannah Nixon, Chair of the SSRO, said:
I am delighted that John will be joining us as our new Chief
Executive. The SSRO has come a huge distance since our inception
in 2014. John will be joining us at a pivotal time as we look to
shift our emphasis from the work of building the tools for the
regime to helping the MOD and industry make best use of them. In
John we have found a motivational leader whose experience and
vision will be invaluable in leading the organisation into its
next phase.
The SSRO’s new Chief Executive, John Russell,
said:
Ensuring that the UK has the world’s best defence and security
infrastructure has never been more important given the multiple
evolving global challenges we face as a nation. The SSRO plays a
vital part in ensuring that taxpayers’ money for these essential
contracts is spent wisely, and it is a privilege to be asked to
lead the organisation. It is a job with great meaning and I look
forward to helping the SSRO to perform its important role,
working with Government and across the defence and security
sector.
Andrew Forzani, DG Commercial at the MOD, said:
The recruitment panel was unanimous in its decision to appoint
John Russell, and I look forward to working with him and the SSRO
in pursuit of the Government’s strategic aims and objectives for
single source procurement.
Notes:
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John Russell has widespread experience of high profile
private and public sector roles in a UK and global setting.
After a series of roles at HM Treasury and the Department of
Energy and Climate Change, including as Chief Operating
Officer of Infrastructure UK, John was Global Head, City
Development and Energy Transitions at Royal Dutch Shell,
leading the company’s long term economic and political
analysis of global energy markets. Most recently, he has
worked at OFWAT as Senior Director Strategy, Finance and
Infrastructure, and is a member of the OFWAT Board.
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The SSRO was founded under the Defence Reform Act in 2014. It
is an executive non-departmental public body that plays a
central role in helping Government to achieve efficient
delivery of those defence contracts that are not
competitively tendered, whilst ensuring suppliers can earn a
fair return. The UK spends more than 2% of GDP on defence
each year, and non-competitive contracts account for around
half of the MOD’s annual procurement spend. It includes the
development, acquisition and support of some of the UK’s most
significant defence capabilities, including nuclear
submarines, combat aircraft and sophisticated weapons.
