Wednesday 31 July 2024

Former Chief Science and Technology Officer and current Special Advisor to the CEO, Fiona Rayment, is retiring from NNL. Wednesday 29 July will be her last working day of a career in the nuclear industry lasting over three decades.

As the UK’s national laboratory for nuclear fission, NNL is at the forefront of innovation and nuclear science to benefit society. Fiona’s expert knowledge, developed over a long and distinguished career, has contributed greatly to our work and we are immensely proud to have benefited from her expertise.

For more than 30 years, Fiona has worked for British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL), Nexia and NNL, making a significant contribution to NNL and the broader nuclear sector. She is an internationally recognised and respected expert in nuclear science, with her most recent award of elevation to the grade of Fellow of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) coming in June this year, and she is an emphatic advocate for nuclear as both a career and as a contributor to solving some of the world’s biggest challenges.

Fiona’s interest in nuclear began as an undergraduate at the University of Strathclyde, where she achieved her BSc (Honours) in Chemistry and her PhD in the same subject.  Her interest in clean energy and medical applications of nuclear drove her ambition to join the industry and she succeeded in securing a research role at BNFL where she achieved success in various technical and commercial roles, including seeing  BNFL Research and Technology develop first into Nexia Solutions and then NNL in 2008.

Following other roles in the nuclear industry, Fiona returned to NNL in 2020 as Chief Science and Technology Officer and then as Special Advisor to our CEO Paul Howarth.

Fiona’s leadership across the nuclear industry includes her current role as President of the Nuclear Institute (NI), having been a Fellow since 2014. She is also a Fellow of both the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society of Chemistry. In her career, Fiona has served as a member of Euratom’s Science and Technology Committee, the Idaho National Laboratory’s Nuclear Science and Technology Advisory Committee, the American Nuclear Society Board, and she is a past chair of the UK’s Nuclear Skills Strategy Group. Her other roles across the sector include being an NI Trustee, vice chair of the OECD-NEA’s steering committee and bureau, a member of the Nuclear Industry Council, a member of the Office of Nuclear Regulation Chief Nuclear Inspector’s Independent Advisory Panel, and Patron of Women in Nuclear UK.

It is testament to her impact that Fiona has received both an OBE and the Legionne d’honneur. Fiona’s OBE was awarded in 2017, in recognition of her work in the areas of Research & Development, innovation and skills development across the nuclear sector. Her Légion d’honneur, France’s highest honour of merit, was bestowed in 2022 to celebrate and reward her invaluable work in the nuclear field promoting links between France and the UK.

Fiona said:

“Today I retire from NNL after many years of enjoyment working to advance nuclear science.

“My interest in nuclear was sparked by its potential to benefit society and provide the energy security that many people remember not having, and which many still do not enjoy. Over 30 years later, having seen the advances in nuclear science and having had the chance to play my part, I am even more optimistic for the future.

“I know NNL will go on from strength to strength because of the amazing people who will continue to keep it at the cutting edge of nuclear science. I will be watching and cheering on from the sidelines, but unsurprisingly I won’t be switching off completely. I will still be advising several organisations and government departments on all things nuclear, and as President of the Nuclear Institute I have the privilege of being able to help shape our nuclear future.”

Paul Howarth NNL CEO, said:

“Fiona’s expert knowledge has contributed greatly to NNL’s work, and we are immensely proud to have benefited from her expertise. I am also personally grateful to her for her support in her capacity as special advisor in recent months.

“Her leadership across the industry has seen her recognised by multiple organisations and earned her both an OBE and the Legionne d’honneur, a real testament to her impact both in the UK and further afield.

“We will be forever grateful for Fiona’s contribution, and we are delighted that she will continue to shape the future of nuclear through her role as President of the Nuclear Institute.”