Mark Thurston

Chief Executive, Anglian Water Group

Mark became CEO of Anglian Water (AW) in August 2024. Headquartered in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, AW is, by geographic area, the largest water and waste water company in England, which supplies some 1.2bn litres of fresh water every day. With its supply partners, AW has a workforce of c.12,000, serving some 7m customers and 2.4m households, and plays a vital role in the growth and thriving economy of the east of the country.

Prior to joining AW, for over six years Mark was the CEO of High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd, the company responsible for delivering a new high speed railway to connect the major cities of the UK.

Mark has 30 years’ experience in leadership roles in engineering, project and programme management and business operations, and has worked on some of the biggest, most significant infrastructure projects in the country, including the London 2012 Olympics and Crossrail. He was previously the European MD of engineering and projects company CH2M, and having started his career as a technician apprentice at London Underground, is passionate about skills development and creating career opportunities.

Mark has a Master’s degree in Engineering (Project) Management from the school of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering at Loughborough University.

Mark is a Visiting Professor at both UCL and Loughborough University. He has received an Honorary Doctorate of Technology from the University of East London (UEL) and Loughborough University, where he is also a member of Council. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Association for Project Management (FAPM), a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (FICE), a member of Institution of Engineering and Technology (MIET) and a Chartered Electrical Engineer (CEng).