Paul Smith appointed chief executive of Office of Rail and Road

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has appointed Paul Smith as its new chief executive, with the former Civil Aviation Authority executive due to take up the role in January 2027.

image: ORR

Smith was appointed following a public competition and will succeed John Larkinson, who left the regulator in April after seven years as chief executive. Feras Alshaker is currently serving as interim chief executive and will remain in the post until Smith takes office.

Smith joins the ORR from Fingleton, a strategic regulatory and competition advisory firm, where he has worked since 2024. Before that he spent six years at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), serving as a board member, director of the Consumers and Markets Group and joint interim chief executive.

At the CAA, Smith was responsible for the economic regulation of major airports and led the authority's consumer protection work. He was also part of the executive team responsible for aviation safety and security.

Earlier in his career, Smith was chief executive of the Australian Energy Market Commission, where he worked on changes to Australia's energy markets. He has also held the position of head of policy and regulatory strategy at the Payment Systems Regulator.

His appointment comes as the ORR prepares for changes to its responsibilities under the Government's rail reform programme. The regulator is expected to have a continuing role in the transition towards Great British Railways and the implementation of reforms set out in the Railways Bill.

The ORR is also taking on additional responsibilities in relation to England's strategic road network. The regulator currently monitors the performance and efficiency of the network and is expected to assume a further role in relation to the Lower Thames Crossing under the Highways (Financing) Bill currently before Parliament.

ORR chair Declan Collier said Smith's experience in regulation and policy would be relevant as the organisation takes on new responsibilities across rail and roads.