Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has announced the appointment of two new non-executive board members to the DfT board. Charles Randell CBE has been appointed as Lead Non-Executive Board Member, while Harjit Sandhu is Non-Executive Board Member and Group Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee (ARAC) Chair.
Non-executive board members are senior figures from outside government who are appointed to offer independent advice, support and constructive challenge to ministers and senior officials, helping to strengthen the governance and performance of government departments.
Charles Randell will begin his three-year term as Lead Non-Executive Board Member in October 2026. He has extensive experience in corporate governance, regulation, risk management and public service.
Randell previously served as Chair of the Financial Conduct Authority and the Payment Systems Regulator and was a member of the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Committee.
Harjit Sandhu began his three-year term as Non-Executive Board Member and Group Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee on 1 September 2026. Sandhu brings expertise in finance leadership, governance, risk, audit and assurance.
He is a non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.
He has previously served on the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Management Board and chaired its Audit and Risk Committee, and was also a member of the Department for Education’s Audit and Risk Committee, contributing to assurance, risk, and financial oversight.
