Adrian Belton named as new Chair of the Dstl Board

Adrian (right) was Chief Executive of the Government’s Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) from 2009 -2014, having established it from a four way merger including the Central Science Laboratory (where he was Chief Executive from 2008) and the UK Government Decontamination Service.

As Chief Executive of the Construction Industry Training Board from 2014 - 2016 he stepped down from full time Executive work to pursue a non-Executive career. He has been Chair of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust since 2017 and is currently also a lay member of the Council of the University of Sheffield where he sits on the Audit Committee and chairs the Estates Committee. He previously chaired the Board of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment from 2008 to 2013.

Adrian takes over from Sir David Pepper who has been the Dstl Chair since 2014.

MoD Permanent Secretary, Sir Stephen Lovegrove said:  "I am delighted to welcome Adrian Belton as the new Chair of Dstl. He joins at a very exciting time for science and technology across the whole of MoD. Under the previous Chair, Sir David Pepper, and its new Executive team, Dstl has successfully grown its capabilities, customer-base and scientific excellence. With his proven track record in business and the public sector, Adrian is the ideal person to take the organisation to the next level."

As Chair, Adrian will lead the Dstl Board, whose role is to support and challenge the Dstl Executive in the development of business strategies, plans, business cases and targets, and to monitor Dstl’s business performance against the approved corporate plan.

Dstl Chief Executive Gary Aitkenhead said: "It has been a privilege to work closely with Sir David since joining Dstl. He has been an outstanding Chair for Dstl through a period of growth and change. Adrian brings a wealth of relevant knowledge and experience to the role. I look forward to working with him as we work to maximise the impact of science and technology for the defence and security of the UK."

Adrian Belton said: "I’m both delighted and humbled to be offered the role of Chair of Dstl. Having previously worked in partnership with Dstl and CAST (when I was Chief Executive of Food and Environment Research Agency, FERA) I am familiar with the world class nature of the science and technology. I am therefore also excited and very much looking forward to working with Gary and the rest of the Board to help Dstl in the next stage of its development."

Adrian Belton takes up his appointment on 1st August 2019.