Alison Munro was appointed as Chief Executive of High Speed Two Ltd when the company was established in early 2009, and led the development of the strategy and route proposals for HS2, the largest infrastructure project in the UK. She was responsible for securing powers for Phase 1 (London to West Midlands) and early works have now started on Phase 1. From late 2014 Alison was Managing Director responsible for developing the Phase 2 routes to Manchester and Leeds, and preparation of a second Bill for the route from Birmingham to Crewe. Since October 2017 Alison has been the Chair of the National College for High Speed Rail, which aims to ensure there is a skilled workforce to deliver HS2 and create a skills legacy in high speed rail.
Previously Alison held a number of senior roles in Government, especially in transport, including responsibility for strategic roads policy and a major motorway investment programme. Alison was also awarded a CBE for service to the railway industry in June 2017.