As the new year begins, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce the newcomers to the Directorate and Enlarged Directorate. The latter brings together the directors, the department heads and the head of the Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection unit (HSE).

This year, we welcome three new Directors: Raphaël Bello, Mike Lamont and Joachim Mnich. Raphaël Bello, Director for Finance and Human Resources, is a graduate of the prestigious French École nationale d’administration (ENA). He comes from the French civil service, where he held a range of key posts in the Ministry for the Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, experience that will be invaluable to CERN as we start to prepare for future projects. Mike Lamont, Director for Accelerators and Technology, is a familiar face at CERN, having joined in 1989 to work on the SPS and LEP, before moving to the LHC in 2001. With his long experience in accelerator operation and projects, he is well placed to lead the sector for the coming five years. Joachim Mnich, Director for Research and Computing, will also be familiar to many. Coming from the DESY Directorate, Joachim has a strong links with CERN going back to his involvement with the L3 experiment from 1987-1999, and more recently with CMS. The research and technical sectors will be reinforced by the introduction of deputies for Joachim and Mike. Malika Meddahi becomes Deputy Director for Accelerators and Technology, while Pippa Wells becomes Deputy to Joachim Mnich. Both joined CERN in the 1980s, and between them they have significant experience covering several experimental and accelerator projects.

There are also changes to departmental and HSE management, and I am very pleased to welcome Mar Capeans, Katy Foraz, Brennan Goddard, Rhodri Jones and Benoît Delille to the Enlarged Directorate. Mar Capeans heads the Site and Civil Engineering department. Her strong background in particle physics and technology makes her an ideal interface between the development of the CERN sites and the research community. Katy Foraz’s long experience in intervention coordination and planning in the accelerator sector will be very useful to her in her role as head of the Engineering department. Brennan Goddard’s career has seen him develop wide competencies in accelerator systems, most recently with the LHC Injectors Upgrade project, the High-Luminosity LHC and the FCC study, placing him well for his new role as head of the Accelerator Systems Department, while Rhodri Jones’s deep knowledge of beam instrumentation and diagnostics will be invaluable as he takes up the position of head of the Beams Department. Last but not least, Benoît Delille, the new head of the HSE unit, brings his long experience in safety engineering and project management to the job.

The remaining department heads, along with Charlotte Warakaulle as Director for International Relations, are unchanged. I am sure that I speak for all of us, newcomers and old-hands alike, in saying that we feel privileged to be working with you at this remarkable Laboratory in these unprecedented times. There are huge challenges ahead of us, but exciting opportunities as well, both for CERN and for your own individual professional development. We are all looking forward to sharing the rich road ahead with every one of you.