British Steel announces new interim leadership
British Steel has announced the appointment of Allan Bell as interim chief executive after the government took over its Scunthorpe steelworks.
Bell will take up the position with immediate effect, while Lisa Coulson has also been appointed chief commercial officer.
Both are long-term employees of British Steel, with more than three decades of collective experience at the company.
The appointments have been signed off by the business secretary Jonathan Reynolds and will “ensure consistent and professional leadership” at British Steel’s Scunthorpe site, which employs around 2,700 people, the company said in a statement.
“Our sole focus is ensuring a secure and sustainable future for British Steel’s production in Scunthorpe,” Bell said upon appointment.
“Our immediate priorities are securing the raw materials we need to continue blast furnace operations, ensuring we have the dedicated personnel to run those furnaces, and maintaining the highest levels of health and safety for our workforce.”
He added: “We look forward to working in partnership with our colleagues in government, the trade unions and the workforce here in Scunthorpe.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called an extraordinary sitting of parliament on Saturday to pass emergency legislation allowing the government to take control of British Steel from its Chinese owners, Jingye.
James Murray, exchequer secretary to the Treasury, said on Monday he was confident government officials would be able to get the raw materials necessary to keep the Scunthorpe site’s blast furnaces running.
“Their role is to make sure we do everything we can to make sure we get those raw materials to the blast furnaces in time and to make sure they continue operating,” he said.