Simon Thompson has been selected by the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to be the new chair of the Met Office board. He will start his appointment on December 1, 2024.
Commitment to science and sustainability
First, Thompson will attend a Met Office board meeting on November 29, 2024, as an observer. The appointment of the chair of the Met Office board is made by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Thompson takes over the position from Rob Woodward CBE, who has served two full terms as chair, having taken up the position in 2018. As chair, Thompson will work with the Met Office board and wider executive team to continue growing the weather and climate services and global leadership that the Met Office delivers.
Thompson commented, “I look forward to working with the board and the executives at this exciting time, as the Met Office seeks to realize the full social and economic benefits of the recent investment in a new supercomputer.”
Leadership experience
Thompson has held a number of senior leadership positions in the finance, natural resources and energy sectors, including serving as chairman of 3i Group and Rio Tinto and as a director of Anglo American. He currently serves as a director of the British Geological Survey and is a Defra-appointed member of the Peak District National Park Authority. He is also a senior advisor to Rothschild & Co. and a member of the Energy Transition Commission. Thompson’s academic credentials include an MA in geology from Oxford University, a PhD in history from King’s College London and an honorary professorship at the University of Exeter, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economics.
Met Office chief executive Prof. Penny Endersby CBE, said, “I’m delighted to welcome Simon on board with his wealth of experience at a very exciting time for the Met Office, I would like to acknowledge the outstanding job Rob Woodward has done steering us through the last six years.”
Science Minister Lord Vallance added, “My congratulations to Simon Thompson on his appointment as chair of the Met Office board. I welcome the extensive leadership experience and commitment to applying scientific knowledge that he will bring to the role. The Met Office plays an important part in our daily lives and our safety through its weather and climate forecasts, for which it is recognized and valued globally. It is vital we have a leader in post who can make the most of the valuable insights its talented team can offer to benefit the UK and our planet.”
In related news, scientists at the Met Office recently discovered that, away from the tropics, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) can influence Atlantic weather patterns a full year from the original event. Click here to read the full story.