Thatcham Research has announced the appointment of Richard Billyeald as the new chief technical officer.

He will join Thatcham Research on 14 August with more than 20 years’ experience delivering engineering programmes across multiple sectors.

Billyeald (pictured) will lead Thatcham Research’s Repair Technology Centre (RTC). Having previously worked as head of mechanical engineering at Williams Advanced Engineering, he was responsible for product development and validation across the business.

“I 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,” said Billyeald.

His new role will involve providing solutions for body shops and insurers with vehicle repair challenges and vehicle testing. He will also focus on vehicle cyber-crime protection strategies, collaborating with the automotive industry, insurers and law enforcement agencies. He will be taking over from Andrew Miller, who is leaving the company on 16 June to set up his own consultancy business.

Peter Shaw, Thatcham Research's chief executive, Peter Shaw, 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.

On Thatcham Research’s current chief technical offer Andrew Miller, Shaw said: “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.”