Thatcham recruits new CTO

Tuesday, 06 June 2017

Thatcham recruits new CTO

Thatcham Research has announced the appointment of Richard Billyeald as its new Chief Technical Officer. Richard will join on 14 August 2017 and takes over the role from Andrew Miller who is leaving Thatcham Research on 16 June 2017 to set up his own consultancy business.

Richard will lead Thatcham Research's Repair Technology Centre (RTC) as it continues to assess and provide solutions for body shops and insurers around vehicle repair challenges of the future; as well as the vehicle testing functions. He will also focus on vehicle cyber-crime protection strategies, collaborating with the automotive industry, insurers and law enforcement agencies.

Peter Shaw, chief executive at Thatcham Research said, 'The current pace of change in vehicle development is unprecedented. We are making major investments into the testing and evaluation of future and automated vehicles – from the impact on repair costs of connected cars, to the testing and development of safety standards and research into vehicle cyber security. Richard's appointment comes at a pivotal moment that will enable us to address some of the major issues facing the vehicle and insurance industry.'

Richard brings with him more than 20 years' experience delivering cutting-edge engineering programmes in the automotive, motorsport, aerospace and military sectors. He joins from Williams Advanced Engineering Ltd, where he was head of mechanical engineering responsible for product development and validation across the business. Richard also has extensive management and team development experience gained at Xtrac Ltd and Renault F1.

Richard commented, 'I am delighted to be joining the team at Thatcham Research and trust that my background in high-performance engineering design and development will stand me in good stead to meet the challenges presented by the rapidly developing automotive and insurance environment.'

Andrew Miller, Thatcham Research's current chief technical officer, leaves on 16 June to set up his own consultancy business.

Peter Shaw commented, 'Andrew has made a major contribution to Thatcham Research over the past 14 years, and has left an indelible mark on the organisation. He has led ground-breaking research and analysis around repair and has created a legacy of a highly respected Euro NCAP testing facility at Thatcham Research, as well as being the chairman of Euro NCAP. We wish Andrew great success in the future, and thank him for his contribution to the insurance industry, Thatcham Research and making cars safer and more secure.'