Dr Fiona Rayment, a Salford-based scientist and board member of Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS), has been appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) by His Majesty the King in the New Year’s Honours List. The accolade recognises her outstanding contribution to the nuclear sector.
Dr Rayment joined the NRS Board in December 2023 as an Independent Non-Executive Director. NRS is a subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), the government body responsible for safely decommissioning the UK’s legacy nuclear sites.
David Peattie, NDA Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “I’m delighted to congratulate Fiona on this well-deserved recognition, which honours her distinguished career and outstanding contribution to our industry. She is a world-renowned expert who has utilised her vast knowledge, insight and technical skill to drive innovation and improvements across the sector. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, we have one of the most experienced nuclear workforces in the world who go above and beyond, driving our mission forward and helping make the nation safer.”
Lawrie Haynes, NRS Chair, added: “This is a fitting reward for a long and notable career, that has already made, and will undoubtedly continue to make, a significant impact on the nuclear industry. Fiona brings a rare blend of technical knowledge, passion and vision, and every organisation she has worked with has benefitted greatly from her leadership. I’m sure all my colleagues at NRS, and across the wider NDA group, will join me in congratulating Fiona on this truly deserved honour.”
Dr Rayment is a chartered chemist and engineer, holding a PhD in chemistry from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. She is a fellow of the UK Nuclear Institute, Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the American Nuclear Society.
Her career includes roles as President of the UK Nuclear Institute, Chief Science and Technology Officer at the U.K. National Nuclear Laboratory, Patron of Women in Nuclear UK, and the first chair of the UK’s Nuclear Skills Strategy Group. She also serves as an advisor to the DESNZ Science and Technology Council, a member of the Office of Nuclear Regulation Chief Nuclear Inspector’s Independent Advisory Panel, and chairs the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Energy Division at CEA, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission. In addition, she is a Non-Executive Member of the UK Space Agency Steering Board and vice-chair of the Nuclear Energy Agency’s Steering Committee Bureau.
Earlier this year, Dr Rayment received the 2025 Frank Whittle Medal from the Royal Academy of Engineering in recognition of her engineering leadership and technical expertise in the nuclear sector.
Her appointment as DBE marks another milestone in a career that has consistently combined technical excellence, leadership, and dedication to advancing the UK’s nuclear capabilities.
