British Steel has confirmed the appointment of two key staff members as part of their urgent mission to keep Scunthorpe’s steel works operational. Allan Bell and Lisa Coulson, both seasoned British Steel employees with a combined 33 years of service, have taken on the roles of interim Chief Executive Officer and interim Chief Commercial Officer respectively. These appointments, endorsed by the Secretary of State, aim to ensure steady, professional leadership at the Scunthorpe site. The move follows the Government’s swift intervention last Saturday, when both Houses of Parliament deliberated on legislation to thwart potential shutdown of the blast furnaces. The subsequent Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill quickly passed into law, granting the Government control over British Steel. Jingye Group, a Chinese firm that purchased British Steel in 2020, has allegedly invested over £1.2 billion to keep operations afloat amidst production difficulties and daily losses approximated at £700,000. There is now a pressing requirement to secure enough raw materials, like coking coal and iron ore, to sustain the plant’s two blast furnaces. Allan Bell, British Steel’s new interim CEO, emphasised their main focus is ensuring a secure and sustainable future for British Steel’s production in Scunthorpe.
This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk.
