The appointment will take effect from 1 October.
Mr Atkinson was the Chief Executive of Keller Group from April 2004 to May 2015, when he retired from Keller's board of directors.
He had previously been Keller’s Group Finance Director and its Chief Operating Officer.
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Mr Atkinson will be a member of Kier's Risk Management and Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee, Safety, Health and Environment Committee and Nomination Committee and is considered by the board of directors of the Company to be independent.
Phil White, Kier's Chairman, said: "I am delighted that Justin will be joining us as a member of the board. In over a decade as Chief Executive of Keller, Justin managed the delivery of significant growth in the business.
"In addition, his in depth knowledge of the construction sector, both in the UK and internationally, will complement the skills and experience of our other non-executive directors."
(LM)
