Board of Directors

Sir Stephen Hillier

Sir Stephen Hillier became the Chair of the UK Civil Aviation Authority in August 2020.He previously had a long career in the Royal Air Force, eventually becoming Chief of the Air Staff, the head of the Service.  He has extensive military flying experience as a pilot and instructor on a wide range of aircraft types, although his flying career started at age 17 when the CAA issued him his Private Pilot’s Licence.

He has wide experience of leading large, complex, and high-profile portfolios and programmes, and of change and risk management within regulated environments.

In addition to his CAA role, he is a Board member of the UK Atomic Energy Authority; chairs the Association of Accounting Technicians and the Board of the RAF Museum; and holds Patron and President roles in a number of charities, focused on either equal opportunity and social mobility or on military veterans' interests.

Rob Bishton

Rob Bishton is the Chief Executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority and has held the role since October 2023.

Rob became Chief Executive after holding the Interim Joint CEO position between April and October 2023.

Appointed to the Board as Group Director of Safety and Airspace Regulation in November 2019, Rob has been at the CAA since 2014, and previously held the role of Head of Flight Operations.

He has extensive experience in the aviation industry having held Board level roles at several airlines, as well as having been Chief Pilot of easyJet. Rob remains a qualified Airline Transport Pilot with more than 10,000 commercial flying hours on Boeing and Airbus aircraft alongside his private Helicopter flying experience.

Rob has also represented the UK at the EASA Management Board and was formerly a Non-Executive Director of the UK Flight Safety Committee.

Giancarlo Buono

Giancarlo Buono joined the UK Civil Aviation Authority in January 2025 and is the Group Director of Safety and Airspace Regulation and a member of the Board.

A seasoned leader, Giancarlo's career encompasses both civil and military aviation. Prior to the CAA he served as Regional Director for Safety and Flight Operations in Europe for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), working closely with international stakeholders to enhance operational safety and efficiency across the industry.

He started as an officer and pilot in the Air Force before transitioning to commercial aviation, where he held several senior positions prior to joining IATA. He is a qualified Airlines Transport pilot with more than 8500 flying hours on different types of military and commercial aircraft.

Giancarlo holds a Master’s degree in Air Transport Management from City St. George’s, University of London, and has completed an executive leadership programme at Harvard University Law School. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Selina Chadha

Selina Chadha joined the UK Civil Aviation Authority in August 2024 and is the Group Director for Consumers and Markets and a member of the Board.

Selina’s role includes overseeing the CAA’s economic regulation, economics function and competition, consumer protection and consumer enforcement activities, as well as the ATOL financial protection scheme.

Prior to joining the CAA, Selina was Director of Policy (Competition and Consumer) at the Office of Communications (Ofcom). Her time at Ofcom was focused on promoting investment and competition, and protecting consumers in the communications sectors.

Selina is a Trustee of the UK’s Air Travel Trust.

Tracey Martin

Tracey Martin joined the UK Civil Aviation Authority in May 2023 as Chief Financial Officer and was appointed to the Board on 20 September 2023.

Tracey became Chief Financial and Operations Officer in April 2024, assuming responsibility for Corporate Enabling Services and supporting the CAA to deliver its strategy.

Tracey brings her vast experience to the role, having previously held executive finance and business positions across a number of sectors including Defence, Health, Regulation and Policing operating in complex and political environments. Her experience spans business transformation, strategic development and financial strategy to create value and improve service and customer outcomes.

Tracey is a Trustee of the UK’s Air Travel Trust.

Katherine Corich

Katherine Corich was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the UK Civil Aviation Authority Board in July 2019 and became Senior Independent Director in July 2024. She serves on the CAA’s Audit and Risk Assurance (ARAC) and People Committees. She is also a Non-Executive member of CAA International.

Trained as a commercial pilot before becoming a technology entrepreneur, founding Sysdoc Group and Serendata Transformation Intelligence Platform, Katherine was inducted into the NZ Hi-Tech Hall of Fame in 2015 and has been twice named as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year.

Katherine has extensive experience of corporate governance, performance/risk-based regulation, and aviation safety. She has held positions in academia, as Associate Fellow of the Oxford University Saïd School of Business, and as International Adviser for the University of Canterbury and the Auckland University School of Business.

Katherine is an Independent Member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Leadership Board, and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. As a current trustee of Pure Advantage and the NZ Nature Fund, Katherine is committed to biodiversity restoration projects.

Jordan Giddings

Professor Jordan Giddings was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the UK Civil Aviation Authority Board in February 2025, leading on emerging technologies and innovation.

An experienced Board member and Chair, he now works primarily as an independent adviser. He serves as a Non-Executive Director for the Met Office, advises the UK Ministry of Defence and National Security Community on science and technology, and supports various start-ups, scale-ups, and consultancies. He is also a visiting Professor at UCL and other academic institutions.

Recognised nationally and internationally, Jordan is a leader in innovation and change across systems, data, cyber, and technology. He specialises in dual-use and emerging technologies, complexity, AI, autonomy, and data science, fostering long-term collaboration between government, industry, and academia.

A Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Institute of Physics, and Royal Society of Arts, he is also a Chartered Physicist and Chartered Scientist. He holds an MA in Physics from the University of Oxford and a PhD in High Energy Particle Physics from the University of London.

Manny Lewis

Manny Lewis was appointed as a Non-Executive Member of the Board in October 2021, leading on people, change, and business excellence.

He brings a wide range of skills and experience, having held numerous positions across the public sector and local government, including at Watford Borough Council, Essex Partnership University Foundation NHS Trust, and Habinteg Housing Association.

Manny is currently a Non Executive Director at National Highways where he chairs the Remuneration Committee, a Non Executive Director at Green Square Accord and a Board Member at the Crown Prosecution Service.

Trisha McAuley OBE

Trisha McAuley OBE was appointed as a Non-Executive Member of the UK Civil Aviation Authority Board in February 2025.

Trisha brings expertise in consumer interests,  serving on the CAA Audit and Risk Assurance Committee and has extensive experience as a Chair, Non-Executive Director, and independent consumer expert in regulated markets.

With over 20 years as a senior executive in UK and Scottish consumer organisations, she previously served as Scottish Director of Consumer Futures and was awarded an OBE for services to consumer affairs in 2015. A strategic public policy leader, Trisha has worked with governments, regulators, and businesses.

Currently, Trisha is the Independent Chair of the National Grid Electricity Transmission and Distribution Independent Stakeholder Groups, Board Member for Scotland at Transport Focus, Independent Chair of the Strategic Panel for the Non-Household Retail Water Market in England, and an Ambassador for Enter the Boardroom Community.

Trisha is the Chair of the UK’s Air Travel Trust

Crispin Orr

Crispin Orr was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the UK Civil Aviation Authority Board in January 2026, leading on aviation safety, and serves on the CAA Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.

Crispin was the Chief Inspector of Air Accidents at the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), serving from January 2017 until January 2026. Prior to this role, his military career included senior appointments as commander of various operational, flight test and accident investigation organisations, and the award of an MBE in 2009.

He is frequently a speaker on safety investigation matters on the international stage and led the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) Expert Group on Air Accident and Incident Investigation from 2020-2025.

Crispin has an engineering degree from Durham University and post graduate qualifications in Defence Technology, Flight Test, Safety and Accident Investigation. He is also a longstanding member of the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.

Charmion Pears

Charmion Pears was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the UK Civil Aviation Authority Board in October 2025, and is Chair of the CAA Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. Charmion also serves on the CAA People Committee.

An experienced Non-Executive Director and trustee with a focus on the public and voluntary sectors, she is also a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the DVLA’s Audit & Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC), an Independent Member of the Health and Safety Executive ARAC, and an Independent Member of the Department for Transport Group ARAC.

Charmion’s executive career comprised leadership roles in strategic planning and innovation within the airline industry and financial services.

Past roles include Non-Executive Director and Chair of ARAC of the Care Quality Commission, Non-Executive Director & ARAC Chair of Corserv Ltd, Senior Independent Non-Executive Director & ARAC Chair of Bristol Waste Company, and Trustee of Blue Cross UK and Demelza Hospice for Children.

Air-Vice Marshal Ian “Cab” Townsend

Air-Vice Marshal Ian “Cab” Townsend became a Non-Executive Member of the UK Civil Aviation Authority Board in November 2025.

Commissioned into the Royal Air Force in 1992, Cab has over three decades of experience in combat air operations, capability development, and training. He has commanded Number 1(F) Squadron, Number 3(Fighter) Squadron, RAF Marham, and 903 Expeditionary Air Wing, leading major operational deployments and capability transitions, including the retirement of Tornado GR4 and the introduction of F-35B Lightning into service. He was appointed CBE in 2020 for his leadership at RAF Marham.

His senior appointments include Assistant Chief of Staff Combat Air, where he oversaw Typhoon, Lightning, weapons, and operational training, and Director Training as head of No 22 Group. Cab holds a Master’s degree in Defence Studies and is a Qualified Weapons Instructor. His operational career spans deployments to the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan, where he received a Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service.

Outside of his professional duties, Cab is Chair of United Kingdom Armed Forces Rugby Union, President of the 3(F) Squadron Association, and a Level 6 rugby union referee.