OUR BOARD
Our Board brings together a diverse range of expertise, perspectives, and lived experience to support HEICEB in discharging the community engagement responsibilities set out in the Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS). Board Members and Strategic Advisors work collaboratively and provide independent oversight and advice, helping to ensure that communities affected by Heathrow's expansion proposals have meaningful opportunities to contribute to each stage of the process.
Rachel Cerfontyne
Rachel has over 30 years of experience of senior leadership, in roles which have had independence and scrutiny at the heart of them, most notably as Chief Executive of Hertfordshire Police Authority and Deputy Chair of The Independent Police Complaints Commission.
She is currently a non-executive Director at the Office for Legal Complaints and sits on the Nursing and Midwifery Council Fitness to Practise Panels. She has always worked in areas where ensuring public confidence has been a core requirement, demanding effective stakeholder and community engagement. Having lived close to the airport as a child, Rachel has always maintained a strong interest in its development and impact on neighbouring communities.
Dr Ruth Milton
With a professional background as a public health physician, Ruth brings a robust, scientific, evidence-based approach to the HEICEB. She has worked locally, nationally and engaged internationally, always considering inequalities and diversity. This experience enables her to advise on how information can be effectively communicated and tailored to different communities and populations.
Ruth brings significant multi-agency working and co-design experience, with an expectation of monitoring, evaluating, or auditing all interventions.
Paul Beckford
Paul has spent 20 years working as a political consultant on transport and infrastructure projects, both supporting and opposing a range of schemes. He has deep expertise in aviation policy and specialises in aircraft noise, reflected in his membership of the Department for Transport’s Aviation Noise Engagement Group and Airspace Stakeholder Engagement Group.
His passion for transport has led him to pursue a PhD at UCL, focusing on business case development for the maintenance of infrastructure assets.
Paul is also an Accredited Practitioner with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and understands the importance and power of communications.
Amrit Bangard
Amrit is a public sector leader with extensive experience in strategy, policy and engagement across national and local communities. As Deputy Director in the Cabinet Office’s COVID-19 Taskforce, she supported ministerial decision-making during the pandemic response. Previously, she led policy and engagement for the Government's Windrush response and wider transformation.
Her work in the Communities Department covered homelessness and rough sleeping, the Grenfell Tower response and building safety. Earlier roles in the Department for Business included social mobility, industrial strategy, ministerial support and legislation, including gender pay gap reporting.
Amrit’s interests include social justice, people-centred policy and public sector leadership. She brings practical insight into how organisational decisions affect local residents, particularly underrepresented communities, to support those impacted by Heathrow expansion.