UCL’s Professor Graeme Reid appointed as new Chair of the NPL Management Ltd Board

The announcement was made today by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Professor Reid joined the NPL board in January 2021 and, until his appointment as Chair, was serving as Non-Executive Director and Chair of NPL’s Science & Technology Advisory Council (STAC).

Established in 1900, the NPL is the UK's National Metrology Institute, developing and maintaining the national primary measurement standards and providing cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology. Its work helps to ensure accuracy in the data and information used to underpin government and industry decision making, as well the UK's prosperity overall.

One of the oldest metrology institutes in the world, the NPL’s research has contributed to the advancement of numerous scientific disciplines, including the development of atomic clocks and packet switching – one of the fundamental technologies of the Internet.

Professor Reid said: “I have admired NPL throughout my career. NPL has a pivotal role in the economy of the UK and is a cornerstone of research and innovation. It is a great privilege to be appointed as chair of the NPL Management Ltd Board and I look forward to serving the Laboratory and its stakeholders during the years ahead.”

Professor Reid spent much of his career at the interface between science and Government, having worked in the Business Department, the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury before joining UCL in 2014.  Since then, he spent several years as specialist advisor to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee and led influential reviews of research and innovation policy for the Scottish Funding Council and the Welsh Government. During the approach to Brexit, Sir Adrian Smith and Professor Reid prepared a report for the UK science minister on frameworks for international collaboration.

Dr Peter Thompson FREng, Chief Executive of NPL, stated: “I am delighted to welcome Professor Graeme Reid as the new Chair of the NPL Management Ltd board, I know NPL will benefit from his expertise and experience, and I look forward to working with him in the years to come. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Sir David Grant for his time and dedication over the last six years.”

Departing Chair, Sir David Grant said: “It has been a rewarding experience and a privilege to have been Chair since 2015. Many developments have taken place in that time; organisationally, scientifically and in the impact NPL makes in the wider world. It has been a particularly great pleasure to work with such a talented group of people. Looking ahead, I am delighted that Prof Graeme Reid has been appointed as my successor. I have known Graeme for many years, and I can therefore be very confident that his wide experience and achievements are ideal for the Chair appointment.”
 

Links

• Professor Graeme Reid’s academic profile
• National Physical Laboratory
• Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy  

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Professor Graeme Reid. Credit: NPL