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SPOTLIGHT RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2022: MEET THE INDEPENDENT JUDGES
RAILSTAFF AWARDS
MEET THE INDEPENDENT PANEL JUDGES 22
Rail Media is delighted to announce the independent panel judges of the 2022 RailStaff Awards, which takes place on Thursday 24 November at the NEC, Birmingham
The RailStaff Awards have been recognising the extraordinary achievements of rail industry employees since 2007. The ceremony shows appreciation for the people who deliver the railway - from drivers to cleaners, and engineers to station staff. Often these are stories of lives saved, careers turned around and adversity conquered. Meet our industry leading independent panel:
ADELINE GINN MBE
Adeline Ginn is marketing, legal and EDI director at Egis Transport Solutions, a multi-disciplinary project management and consultancy business, and part of the French engineering and construction Group, Egis.
Prior to joining Egis, Adeline spent 20 years at Angel Trains, one of Britain’s leading rolling stock companies, acting as sole legal counsel of their European business for 7 years and then as General Counsel. In April 2012, Adeline created Women in Rail, which aims to improve gender balance, diversity and inclusion across all grades and roles within the UK railway sector. DR JENNY ILLINGSWORTH
Jenny Illingsworth is head of business operations at Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) at University of Birmingham.
Jenny manages the day-to-day running of the Centre, which includes looking after its 150+ academics, professional services staff, research students, and associates. Her work includes oversight of the Centre’s business, including marketing, communications, strategy development and programme development.
DYAN CROWTHER OBE
Chief executive officer of High Speed 1, Dyan Crowther has over 30 years’ experience in the rail industry. Prior to joining HS1, Dyan was the chief operating officer at Govia Thameslink Railway. She has worked in several senior director roles at Network Rail including route managing director of the West Coast Main Line and director of operations.
Dyan has extensive experience in the boardroom having sat on the board of an NHS Trust for five years, been a trustee for the Railway Children registered charity, and been a member of the British Transport Police Authority and the Advisory Panel to Crossrail.
FIONA WESTCOUGH
Fiona Westcough is the chair of the Young Rail Professionals (YRP) and joined the rail industry in 2019 as a Graduate Engineer at Atkins (member of the SNC-Lavalin Group). In her time as a graduate, she supported two
major clients on secondment – Bombardier (Alstom) and Transport for London. She now resides in Atkins’ Strategic Rail Market team.
Fiona has been heavily involved in YRP since April 2020. On top of this, she is an associate of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and is working towards Chartership. She is passionate about inspiring the next generation of engineers.
MARTIN TUGWELL
As chief executive of Transport for the North, Martin Tugwell is responsible for transforming pan-Northern connectivity in order to improve productivity and drive economic growth. He leads Transport for the North as England’s first sub-national transport body, giving the North a strong, unified, and determined voice on transport investment to benefit the region.
Martin has more than 20 years of experience in strategic transport and infrastructure planning at national, regional, and local levels.
MATT ATKINS
RailStaff Editor Matt Atkins, has worked in journalism and publishing for over 15 years. In that time, he’s worked, edited and written for numerous trade publications covering industries as diverse as finance, business, recruitment, maritime shipping, and now rail.
Matt joined Rail Media from the academic publisher, Taylor & Francis, where he edited leading journals covering the humanities, science and technology, and medicine.
NEIL ROBERTSON
Neil is CEO of the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) which he joined in 2015 from the utility sector where he was CEO of the Energy & Utility Skills Group. Before that he was CEO of the British Institute of Innkeeping.
Prior to these sectoral CEO roles, he held senior positions in government departments for education and business where he had responsibilities in skills, employability, English and migration, regional economic development and European Structural Funds. PETER WHITE
Peter is a Service Delivery Assistant for GWR at Bristol Temple Meads and was voted Rail Person of the Year at the RailStaff Awards 2019.Peter entered the rail industry via a Princes Trust scheme with GWR, and grabbed the opportunity with both hands, joing the company as a Ticket Examiner.
Peter is passionate that other young people benefit from similar opportunities and helped run future GWR "Get Into" courses. He is currently a dispatcher and is awaiting a start date to become a trainee train driver.
TIM HEDLEY-JONES
Tim Hedley-Jones is executive director of the Railway Heritage Trust, a role he started on 1 April 2022. Prior to that he worked for Transport for the North on the Transpennine Route Upgrade Programme.
Between 1999 and 2018 Tim worked for the East Coast franchise in a number of customer service, programme delivery, and business development roles, latterly as major projects director.
He was involved in the development of the Intercity Express Train, the redevelopment of King’s Cross Station, and built a new station at Wakefield Westgate.
A SAFER SUPPORTING RAILWAY
McGinley Support Services is proud to support Safety Person or Team of the Year at the 2022 RailStaff Awards. As one of the UK’s largest specialist recruitment businesses, McGinley provides permanent, contract and temporary staff, at all levels across the rail and infrastructure industry. It builds and manages workforces all over the UK, finding jobs for workers, developing their skills and experience, and forging long-term relationships.
McGinley has thousands of skilled professionals working with its customer base every week. Much of its workforce has stayed with the firm for a number of years, relying on it to match their skills and experience with the best opportunities across the country.
Many of the McGinley recruiters come from a rail, construction and infrastructure background, so truly understand what customers are looking for.
PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS
McGinley is a family business, driven by a set of core values, all interwoven and important. It has adapted those values to help run its business, and integrity, respect, safety, inclusion, and improvement, define how it behaves.
When it comes to its people, McGinley is guided by the same principles and it is a signatory of the People Matter Charter. The safety of its workforce is an essential part of its service.
Colin Edge, Managing Director of McGinley, says: “These awards are an extraordinary celebration of the exceptional people making the rail industry a leading success story. At McGinley, we continue to rise to the challenge of providing the railway with the best personnel solutions and support services it needs to continue to prosper.”
In supporting the RailStaff Awards, OSHE Director John Jebson adds: “The RailStaff Awards are key in recognising the people who work tirelessly day and night to collectively help deliver projects on time and safely, as we build back better now and in the future.” INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE
McGinley prides itself on being a leading innovator in the industry in terms of service, embracing safety systems, and workforce management. Upholding the strong safety focus and quality culture necessary for the rail and infrastructure sector to meet its own objectives means thinking about the overall wellbeing of all workers – whether contingent labour or permanent staff.
It also means considering what the whole industry needs to do to develop a sustainable workforce for the future. Making the rail sector attractive to new entrants means providing an effective career path, with sufficient, regular shifts, and effective training programmes to upskill each individual worker. That will provide the skills the industry needs, whether across track maintenance, electrification or signalling works, plus major projects.
“McGinley is a loyal supporter of the RailStaff Awards and is making a similar growing contribution to Britain’s fast-expanding railway,” says Adam O’Connor, Managing Director of Rail Media Group which is hosting the awards. “It is at the forefront of providing top-grade rail professionals to lead and deliver a safer rail network and it is fitting that it is backing the Safety Person or Team of the Year award at this year’s RailStaff Awards.”
SPREADING THE SAFETY MESSAGE
SafetyINRail, McGinley’s specialist safety magazine, aims to ensure that all McGinley workers, colleagues, clients, and stakeholders are kept up-to-date with industry developments and guidelines. The publication helps to share the company’s safety message with as wide an audience as possible.
SafetyINRail covers topical issues about safety and new requirements when working on the Rail network. It also regularly features individuals who have really made a difference, either by helping others or progressing with training and other achievements.
SAM MOBILE APP
McGinley is a previous winner of the Safety Person or Team of the Year award, having taken the title in 2019. As one of the founding members of the Track Safety Alliance, the McGinley Safety Team works tirelessly with peers to create a safer railway environment.
It is also the driving force behind the innovative mobile reporting app ‘Safety at McGinley’, or SAM for short.
In its current form, SAM is a bespoke multiplatform app designed to give users a ‘one-stop’ safety experience and knowledge base. It allows users to report close calls and receive and give safety briefings anytime, anywhere.
As one of the first of its kind, SAM enables live safety feedback from the site directly to the McGinley Safety Team as well as ensuring the successful implementation of railway safety briefings.
“It’s taking mobile platforms to the next level,” says John Jebson. “It’s not one dimensional, it’s taking a communication that we want to give to the workforce and then receiving an equivalent confirmation back. So, we can brief things in real time, get feedback and we can get worker participation a lot easier than just sending a one-way message. Everybody carries a smartphone these days, we don’t want to carry reams of paperwork around.”
Initially, the idea for the app was brought about through a collaboration between the internal health and safety team, safety representatives, and frontline workers plus client management.
Each worker reporting a close call through SAM receives an email to thank them and outline actions that may be taken. This confidential, personal touch has been vital to changing worker perceptions of close-call reporting, which have risen by 70% since SAM launched in April 2018.
RAIL TEAM
OF THE YEAR
One of the most loosely defined categories at the RailStaff Awards, Rail Team of the Year gives nominators broad scope. A team can be any number between two and infinity, and there is no restriction on what role that team has in ‘real’ life. So, nominating a pair of recruiters, five drainage specialists, ten train cleaners or twenty timetable planners – all are equally valid entries.
That permissible variety was evident in the nominations in 2019. A total entry of 64 teams included train operator apprentices, community ambassadors, a graduate outreach programme, a performance and planning team, train care, customer service, revenue protection, a station team (including the station cat!) and even a team of drivers testing new trains in the Czech Republic!
What will the RailStaff Awards attract in 2022?
MORE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY
As it happened, the 2019 winner was the ‘Scotrail in the Community’ team, which had successfully delivered a number of community rail, regeneration, transport integration, accessibility and charitable schemes over the previous year.
This included high-profile events such as hosting the Association of Community Rail Awards in October 2018, which was attended by close to 500 people - an event record.
There have also been smaller changes that have had a big impact on people’s lives. Grace’s Signs, a more-inclusive toilet door sign for people with invisible disabilities, has been introduced to all stations. It is named after 13-year-old Grace Warnock, who has Crohn’s Disease and who came up with the idea after facing criticism from strangers when she used accessible toilets.
In a nomination bursting with success stories, there were also mentions of: a comprehensive programme of cycling initiatives, reducing the notice for passenger assist times to only two hours from April 2019 and increasing ScotRail’s ‘Adopt a Station’ programme to 75 per cent of its stations, while still reducing overall costs by 20 per cent.
James Ledgerwood, head of economic development and communities at ScotRail, said: “I’m so pleased for the team, because that’s the key thing. I work with a wonderful team - they’ve worked so hard since Abellio won the franchise to really change what the railway’s about.
“They’ve changed it from being just about getting from A to B to being much more about the community and this is just a small reward for the work the boys and girls have done.
“Community rail is at the forefront of what the franchise is all about. Railways are going to be so important in the future, they’re going to be at the heart of communities, whether it be for getting people to education, work or for tourism, it’s about connecting people to opportunities.”
The Rail Team of the Year Award was sponsored by on-track plant hire specialists Total Rail Solutions (TRS). Paul Bateman, chief executive officer at TRS, said: “What can I say? Another fantastic evening showcasing the rail industry and the people who make it happen. FORGING AHEAD
Total Rail Solutions is both pleased and proud to sponsor the Rail Team of the Year category at the 2022 RailStaff awards. The Rail Team of the Year category is of special importance to all at TRS as it represents the core value of teamwork, a value the business and the industry rightly places at the epicentre of all it does and achieves.
TRS CEO Paul Bateman said “These last couple of years have clearly presented many additional and unimaginable challenges. Those challenges have been firmly met by an industry that is recognised for its planning, organisation and teamwork. I am particularly pleased to see the wealth of applications outlining the great work and results the various teams have achieved, from across the sector”.
Based in Newbury the company has recently announced the opening of a new facility in the Northwest of England.
Located in Warrington, Cheshire, the new location expands the company's reach and coverage to four locations, complementing the existing locations in Newbury, Berkshire, Cwmbran, South Wales and Goole in the Northeast of England.
Speaking about the announcement, Total Rail Solutions CEO Paul Bateman said "This is the logical next step location for the business, the
site is ideally suited for our operation and team. In addition the new facility offers easy access to both the M56 and M6, expanding our reach and service to customers in North Wales, Merseyside, Cheshire and the North of England".
Speaking about the ongoing company support for the event and key category sponsorship, Paul Bateman continued, “Earlier this year TRS launched 5 to focus, 5 areas of the business where a dedicated member of my senior leadership team was given, based on their skill set and accountability, responsibility to grow and prosper in a particular area”.
In the critical area of Team, the business came together via focus groups and feedback sessions to agree on a statement that would shape behaviour, create a vision and enable a mechanism to grow and prosper.
Team joins the other 4 groups to create the TRS 5 to Focus: Team: We’re accountable for our actions and belong to a team of which we’re proud. Health, Safety & Environment: Safety first, everyone goes home safely every night. Finance: Commercially minded, we always act with fairness and integrity. Engagement: Collaborating to succeed, we are empowered to act and respectful to all. Innovation: Passionate to be the best, customers recognise and respond to what we do.
Total Rail Solutions is delighted therefore to continue its support of this key category. Interest from the industry has been incredibly high with numerous, quality nominations submitted. The judges face a tough task for sure.
TRS look forward to participating, enjoying and celebrating the 2022 RailStaff Awards and ultimately recognising the Rail Team of the Year.
total rail Society
At Total Rail Solutions we work as one; supporting each other to achieve our common goals.
• Provide our customers with the best people, the right plant and the safest processes • Recognising we are not all the same and that we have different working styles
At Total Rail Solutions we strive to be the best we can; we communicate honestly and openly, listening and respecting the opinions of others.
YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS SECURING THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY
The end of June sees my first quarter as chair of the Young Rail Professionals (YRP) come to a close, and how time has flown! There have been many highlights for me. Our Strategy Day in Derby allowed YRP leaders to come together to discuss the future of the organisation and plan for the year ahead, as well as welcome new members at the National Social in the evening.
Personally, I have been fortunate enough to deliver talks on variety of topics including ‘opportunities in rail’ at RailTex and ‘ensuring diversity of talent for the future’ at the Rail Cymru conference. However, the main highlight was certainly YRP’s Annual Dinner and Awards in Manchester.
YRP’s Annual Dinner & Awards is back!
After two years of holding online awards ceremonies, YRP held its Annual Dinner and Awards at the stunning Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground on 21 April. It was truly a dazzling event, showcasing and celebrating the achievements of future leaders in rail, as well as mentors who support us along the way. The event was attended by some of the largest and most influential organisations and people from across rail, and it was a fantastic opportunity to network and socialise with peers and industry leaders.
Although Manchester has a wealth of railway history and heritage, it is important to recognise that this city was chosen to shine a light on the wealth of upcoming opportunities within the North. The industry must attract a large number of skilled people in order to deliver major upgrades to the rail network as part of the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) and the Levelling-up agenda.
YRP was honoured to welcome Mark Thurston as the keynote speaker for the evening. Mark gave a compelling speech about his journey in rail, from starting out as an apprentice to becoming the CEO of HS2. He highlighted that his path hasn’t been a straight line but involved learning lessons at each stage and corner along the way. We also heard from Steve Mole, managing partner at CPC Project Services, which kindly sponsored the event. Steve spoke about the importance of continuing to deliver events such as these, to ensure a pipeline of talent into the industry.
Celebrating achievements
The awards seek to recognise individuals who have made exceptional contributions to supporting the next generation of the rail industry. All nominations were compelling to read, giving myself faith that the future of the industry is bright and full of individuals creating lasting change for the better. This made the judging process incredibly tough, so I would like to congratulate all who were nominated: keep working hard and achieving amazing things!
Shortlisted in as Mentor of the Year were Mariyan Petrov and Naomi Rial, with the winner being Ian Puckrin from Network Rail. The Apprentice of the Year award went to Marnie McKay from Atkins, with Daisy Carter and Saeda Maihanwal shortlisted. Finally, shortlisted in the Young Rail Professional of the Year was Hannah Nicholls, Simon Rawlings, and Brad Gallagher. Many congratulations to our winner, Lucy Ellis from Laing O’Rourke.
Fiona Westcough.
Supporting Future Leaders in the making
During the awards, I was fortunate enough to deliver my remarks as chair and I focused on the key role YRP plays in tackling the major challenges ahead that our industry faces. The Great British Railways Transition Team (GBR TT) seeks to deliver the most ambitious changes to our railways in a generation, alongside ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions and achieve net zero mobility. The rail industry’s collective success in “Creating a simpler, better railway for everyone in Britain” is dependent on the quality of our workforce.
In light of these challenges, YRP is focused on promoting the industry to fill the ever-growing skills gap, providing development opportunities for early careers professionals and inspiring skills for the future. Many of our regional development events will focus on three key future themes; GBR, Decarbonisation, and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI). An industry that champions EDI will bring diversity of thought, innovation, and a positive workforce culture.
I’m driven to ensure that we’re also creating opportunities for new entrants to the industry to be actively involved in driving change. I’m already interfacing with the GBR TT to explore ways in which the industry can involve the next generation and attract talent, as well as exploring initiatives outlined in the joint RIA & Women in Rail Industry EDI Charter.
Unsung heroes
The past year has collectively seen YRP deliver over 80 different events, including over 65 Networking & Development events, multiple Ffestiniog Heritage Railway volunteering weekends, a tour to the Isle of Wight, a charity Rail Trek in Scotland, Summer & Winter socials across our eight regions, and, of course, our Annual Dinner.
YRP is a voluntary organisation, and I’m constantly amazed at the committee of members who go above and beyond to deliver on top of their hectic day jobs. In doing so, they act as fantastic ambassadors and I wish to publicly thank them for their commitment, enthusiasm, and ambition. Without these individuals, and support from our Corporate Members who allow us to work with an annual operating budget and subsidise events, YRP would cease to provide such a unique service to our industry.
For me, YRP has provided a network of individuals from which I can learn and grow, building the foundations for the future. Be it volunteering as a committee member, a speaker, or becoming a corporate member, I invite you to support our vision and play your part in securing the future of our industry.
Committee Members
YRP is run by passionate volunteers, based across the country. Each region has its own committee that meets monthly. We also have a national executive committee providing support to all of our regions.
Corporate Members
Are you a company operating in the rail industry with a keeness to promote, inspire and develop the next generation of railway talent? If so, you could make a huge difference by joining us as a Corporate Member.
Join us
You could make a huge difference by joining YRP as either a Corporate Member or Committee Member. Add value to your business and career by joining today.
Contact: YRP National Chair Fi Westcough, Fiona.Westcough@ youngrailpro.com
Xavier Guilhen joins Trough-Tec Systems
Xavier Guilhen has joined the team at Trough-Tec Systems (TTS), the supplier of environmentally sustainable cable management systems, as its technical client services manager.
Xavier is already well known to TTS’s long-standing clients having worked for the company previously as engineering manager, as a graduate in energy management and systems technology and in electronics and electrical engineering. Since then he has enjoyed a successful career as a field service engineer for an international electrical and electronics manufacturing firm, specialising in energy-saving lighting and heating solutions for the commercial and domestic markets.
Xavier will act as the technical representative for TTS clients internally, and likewise act as the technical expert to the client, thus supporting Doncaster-based TTS’s increasing reach in the rail industry.
Xavier says: “I am thrilled to have come back to Trough-Tec Systems as it is such a great team to be part of. TTS is also a fast-growing company that I am excited to be working for, and I am looking forward to helping the company grow further.”
Gary Elliott, Managing Director of TTS, says: “We are delighted to welcome Xavier back; his technical expertise will complement the team’s combined skill set, and his wider experience in the field of electronics and electrical applications will be a distinct benefit for us. Our team is going from strength to strength.”
Lumo & Hull Trains welcomes new MD
Martijn Gilbert has been appointed as the new managing director for Lumo & Hull Trains, a new role in which he will lead both of FirstGroup’s open access businesses. Martijn will join First Rail on 12 September 2022.
Martijn has extensive experience in the transport sector with previous roles at Arriva in both its bus and rail divisions, and as CEO of Reading Buses. Martijn, who is a board member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), is currently the managing director of Go North East.
Andy Mellors, First Rail Managing Director, NonFranchised Businesses, said: “I am delighted to announce that Martijn Gilbert has been appointed as the new managing director for Lumo & Hull Trains. Martijn is passionate about delivering excellent customer experience in the transport sector and his expertise will be vital, as we continue to grow our businesses. We are all looking forward to having him on the team. I would like to thank David Gibson for his leadership as we re-establish Hull Trains following the pandemic period, and also thank Phil for his continued dedication and support during the successful expansion of Lumo services.”
Martijn said: “I am very excited to be joining the Lumo and Hull Trains team. It’s an honour and a privilege to be asked to lead both the established and well respected Hull Trains and the innovative new Lumo operation”.
Women in Rail appoints new trustees
Women in Rail (WR) has appointed five new trustees to its governing board.
Sarah Reid, Gary Smithson, Ruth Busby, Mat Baine, and Philippa Hinton all hold key positions in the Rail sector and are ardent supporters of WR.
Welcoming the new trustees, WR Chair Christine Fernandes said: "I am delighted to announce these new trustee appointments in the charity's 10th anniversary year. "Sarah, Gary, Ruth, Mat and Philippa are exceptional people in senior roles and bring with them considerable influence and experience which will greatly benefit WR. "Having them as trustees will definitely strengthen our team as the charity continues its efforts to achieve a more gender-balanced and diverse UK rail industry."
Sarah Reid is Route Director East Coast at Network Rail and, in her role as WR Regional Chair in the East Midlands, launched ‘Never Mind the Gap’ – a cross industry work placement scheme to encourage more women into rail. Sarah has more than 14 years’ experience in the sector having worked in companies including Bombardier Transportation, Invensys Rail and Westinghouse Rail.
Gary Smithson is rail director at Morson Talent. Morson have been a long-standing advocate for WR. They have supported WR flagship events and during the pandemic, been involved in lockdown events to support children and parents home schooling. Gary, who has more than 20 years’ experience in recruitment, is also a judge for this year's WR Awards.
Ruth Busby is WR regional co-chair in the South and has been HR director for Great Western Railway since 2018. Ruth is passionate about inclusion and diversity, a key driver throughout her career. Before joining GWR she worked in several sectors including defence, higher education, and the civil service. Ruth is a qualified leadership coach, Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and trained mediator.
Mat Baine has spent 10 years as managing director at Egis Transport Solutions (formally CPMS). Again, another solid supporter of WR through sponsorship of WR Awards, Big Rail Diversity Challenge and home-schooling lockdown events - he is also a judge for the Awards.
Philippa Hinton is a senior associate at leading global law firm, Ashurst. She specialises in transport and infrastructure projects and has significant experience of commercial contracts in the rail sector. Philippa's extensive experience spans projects for West Coast Trains Ltd, Keolis Amey, Transport for London and Cory Riverside Energy among others. She is also company secretary of The Railway Children charity.
Leadership change at VolkerWessels UK
Alan Robertson, chief executive officer (CEO) of VolkerWessels UK, is to step down from his role and take up a new position as chairman of the business. Richard Offord, the company’s chief operating officer and managing director of VolkerFitzpatrick, has been named as the new CEO.
Robertson joined VolkerWessels UK in 2008, leading the development and growth of the group, which employs 3,600 staff across five businesses. Under his leadership, revenue has grown from £576 million in 2009 to £1.082 billion in 2020, and he has implemented robust management and governance structures, reinforced a strong safety culture and spearheaded programmes to promote sustainability, social value, EDI, and digital construction and innovation.
“It has been an absolute privilege to head up the business for the past 14 years, I am proud to say that VolkerWessels UK has gone from strength to strength – not least, weathering the challenges of the pandemic. I am hugely proud of our people and teams working across the business, in all roles and at all levels, whom I believe are second to none in our sector.
“It is a pleasure to be able to hand over to a colleague who is already well-known and respected, both within our own business and the industry as a whole.”
Richard Offord joined the former Fitzpatrick as an engineer in 1990 before progressing through a variety of roles, becoming a member of the VolkerWessels UK board, and heading up the group’s operations board.
He said: “I am proud to have been given the opportunity to head up the remarkable VolkerWessels UK business, and to be able to continue the excellent work of Alan and our teams across the group. Alan and I have worked closely together for the past 14 years, and in particular for the past year, since I took on the role of chief operating officer. I look forward to leading the business into the future, delivering ongoing excellence for all of our clients, and providing a safe, secure and forward-thinking business which values its people and indeed, all of our stakeholder relationships.”
New rail director at Skanska
James Corker has been appointed as operations director (rail) at Skanska.
James, who joined Skanska on 20 June, brings more than 20 years’ experience in rail and civil engineering, most recently with Morgan Sindall where he was area director responsible for all Network Rail and third-party rail projects.
Alongside his extensive rail experience, James brings expertise in customer relationship management, operational efficiency – where he will focus on ensuring safe, consistent and sustainable project delivery – and business leadership, creating inclusive cultures where people can thrive to reach their potential.
“James has significant rail sector and industry experience and we’re delighted that he is joining Skanska,” said Jonathan Willcock, managing director of Skanska’s Infrastructure business. “We have exciting growth plans for the future and James’ capabilities, including his knowledge and understanding of our markets aligned with his customer focus, will support the strategic development of our business.”
In addition to his work in the rail sector, James has been responsible for operations in the highways, power, nuclear and water sectors.
New COO at SWR
South Western Railway has announced that Stuart Meek will be joining its leadership team as chief operating officer, following the retirement of Mike Houghton earlier this year.
Stuart is moving from the Go-Ahead Group where he has been operations director for the past three years, leading operational and business development projects for rail and bus in the UK and internationally. Prior to this he spent several years in leadership roles in GTR, including as train services director for Southern Rail and five years at TfL in a range of operational leadership positions on the Underground.
Commenting on his appointment, Stuart, who starts in the post in August, said: “I feel privileged to be joining the great team at South Western Railway to serve its customers and communities and I am really looking forward to meeting my new colleagues across the network. I am joining at an exciting time as we work to introduce the Arterio fleet and continue to transform our customers’ journeys.”
Claire Mann, SWR’s managing director added: “I know Stuart will be a great addition to the leadership of our business and am very much looking forward to him joining the team.”
CrossCountry appoints directors
CrossCountry, has announced the appointment of two regional directors in a bid to further embed its regional structure. They will be responsible for the operational and financial performance for their regions, helping to instigate change to benefit the customer.
Ben Simkin, who has been covering the role on an interim basis, has been appointed regional director for North East and Scotland. Ben has a wealth of experience both from a commercial perspective, having held the position of commercial director, but also operationally, in his role as regional customer service manager for the East Midlands and East Anglia.
On his appointment, Ben said: “I have been lucky to gain a broad spectrum of experience at CrossCountry, both from a commercial and operational perspective. This has helped to give me a strong understanding of the complexities of our business which will be hugely beneficial in my role as regional director.”
Huw Margetts will join CrossCountry as regional director for Wales and West in the summer. Huw has almost 10 years’ railway experience, having joined the sector as a graduate at Network Rail. He has held numerous operational roles including head of performance and most recently head of ontrain service at South Western Railway.
Tom Joyner, managing director at CrossCountry added: “We are seeing lots of interest in our leadership positions at CrossCountry both internally and externally. This is incredibly positive as we evolve our business to tackle the challenges of tomorrow and position ourselves as a customer-focused long-distance business.”
Rhino Doors names new directors
Rhino Doors, the UK’s leading manufacturer of highperformance engineered doors, has made two new senior board level appointments.
Jon Walter (left) joins the company as managing director, with extensive experience in senior leadership roles at manufacturing and engineering organisations in Germany, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.
Matthew Richards (right) takes up the role of project engineering director, after spending over ten years in engineering project management positions within the oil and gas industry.
These new appointments come less than a year after the establishment of parent company, Rhino Engineering Group, and its subsidiaries, Rhino Site Systems and Rhino HySafe.
Rhino Site Systems delivers premium door installation and maintenance services to organisations across multiple sectors, while Rhino HySafe is developing a range of ultrafast explosion relief products catering to the global hydrogen market.
GCRE names new CCO
Kelly Warburton has joined the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) as chief commercial officer.
Previously managing director of UK & Europe for Unipart Rail, Kelly began her rail industry career with Alstom in 2001. She joined NRS, now Unipart Rail, in 2004 and worked her way up through the commercial division before becoming a member of the Unipart Rail Board and Group leadership team. She is also a Board member of the Rail Industry Association (RIA) and judge of the Everywoman in Transport Programme.
Kelly joins GCRE with a remit to develop and deliver the commercial strategy for GCRE, a £200 million infrastructure project that will transform the site of the former Nant Helen Opencast Mine and Onllwyn Washery at the head of the Dulais and Tawe Valleys in South Wales into a global hub for rolling stock and infrastructure testing, innovation, storage and maintenance.
She said: “GCRE is a brilliant and much-needed project that will transform the local area and benefit the rail industry with purpose-built dynamic testing facilities for the UK and international market. I’m really proud to have been asked to join the team that is turning this vision in to reality.”
GCRE was established by the Welsh Government as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in 2021 with an initial commitment of £50 million. The UK Government is expected to confirm a further £10 million for research and development along with capital funding of £20 million. An investment prospectus to attract private funding for the project is also in development ready for launch in the autumn of 2022
RIA Scotland announces chair and vice chair
RIA Scotland, the voice of the Scottish rail supply community, has announced a new chair, Meirion Thomas of Arcadis, and vice chair, Campbell Braid of Siemens, to set the strategic direction of the group.
RIA Scotland is the devolved national division of the Railway Industry Association, supporting rail suppliers across Scotland. RIA Scotland will support the industry through a range of activities including networking events and representing the sector to decision makers, and is part of RIA’s Nations & Regions Network, which aims to bring RIA’s work closer to where members live and work.
Meirion Thomas (pictured left), chair of RIA Scotland, said: “I’m delighted to be appointed chair of RIA Scotland. RIA Scotland has already made great inroads, holding events across the country, publishing our manifesto last year ahead of the Holyrood elections and meeting with key decision makers, including Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth.
“As chair, I’m really excited to build on this positive work, offering more events and networking sessions for RIA members, and advocating the views of rail suppliers to Scottish policy makers and stakeholders. I’m looking forward to the months and years ahead as we do even more to support the Scottish rail supply community.”
Campbell Braid (pictured right), vice chair of RIA Scotland, said: “It’s great to be part of RIA Scotland, supporting RIA’s Nations & Regions Network roll out. Meirion and I look forward to meeting with RIA members across the country over the coming weeks and months, finding out more about how they are supporting the Scottish rail network, its passengers and freight users, and the wider economy.”
David Clarke, RIA Scotland lead and UK technical director, said: “Congratulations to Meirion and Campbell on their appointments. It’s great to have their expertise and knowhow to help guide RIA Scotland’s activities.
Costain has appointed Nicole Geoghegan as general counsel and company secretary, replacing Sharon Harris who is leaving the business in July. Nicole will start and join the executive board on 1 July.
Nicole has extensive infrastructure experience, covering the full asset lifecycle, and is an expert in public sector procurement and managing risk. Prior to this role, Nicole was general counsel and company secretary for High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd and before joining HS2 Nicole worked for a number of industrial and engineering businesses, beginning her career at a top Australian law firm.
Alex Vaughan, Chief Executive Officer said, “Nicole brings valuable understanding and experience from a customer’s perspective, alongside expertise in contracts, governance and risk management. She has a track record of improving revenue and profitability and I am delighted to welcome her to our team. Sharon leaves us after almost two years and I would like to thank her for the significant contribution that she has made and wish her a happy retirement.”
Nicole commented, “I am excited to be joining Costain at such a transformative time for the company, industry and wider society. We have a huge opportunity to make infrastructure delivery more economic and efficient, to improve people’s lives and the environment, and I am looking forward to using my experience in support of this change.”
Amanda Squires appointed as new CEO at Watercress Line Heritage Railway Trust
Watercress Line Heritage Railway Trust has appointed Amanda Squires as its new chief executive officer.
Amanda joins the Trust from Brooklands Museum where, for the last four years, she has acted as chief operating officer and has excelled in the delivery of customer experience, achieving ambitious revenue targets and leading the museum’s daily operations.
She will start in her new role as CEO at the Watercress Line on 1 August in what is a brand new position at the Railway. Amanda will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategic plan for the Watercress Line and for leading its delivery. By placing the visitor at the heart of the organisation, alongside our staff and volunteers, Amanda’s role will feed directly into the company’s goal of securing future growth of the Railway through strong commercial and financial performance.
Speaking of her pride at her appointment as CEO, Amanda said: “I am honoured to have been chosen to become the first CEO of the Watercress Line and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to lead the organisation through its next exciting chapter.
“I am really looking forward to working with staff, volunteers, members and partners to ensure the Watercress Line continues to thrive for future generations by building on its enviable history of success as a much-loved visitor attraction and nationally important heritage railway.”
In her previous role at Brooklands Museum, an independent charitable trust in Weybridge, Surrey, Amanda developed a track-record of operational excellence and strong commercial performance. She successfully guided the company through the challenging Covid-19 pandemic through the delivery of a crisis survival strategy.
Amanda also enjoyed an 11-year career at the Royal Albert Hall in London during which she held two roles: head of operations and latterly as director of building and operations. With a focus on ‘unforgettable visitor experiences’ Amanda excelled in this challenging role within the competitive tourism and culture industry.
David Jones, Chair of Watercress Line Heritage Railway Trust, said: “I’m delighted Amanda is joining us. There is so much opportunity for all enterprises as they emerge from the challenges of the last few years. Her experience within the leisure, tourism and heritage sector is exceptional and we are all looking forward to working with her.”
Alison Houghton, Chair of Mid-Hants Railway Ltd, added: “This is a really exciting time for the Watercress Line as we welcome Amanda to the team. Her extensive experience in the heritage leisure industry will ensure that the railway can thrive as a visitor attraction, whilst ensuring that preservation of this important part of Britain’s industrial heritage remains at the heart of everything we do. I am very much looking forward to working alongside her.”
Skanska welcomes new CFO
Skanska UK has appointed Meliha Duymaz as chief financial officer and executive vice president. Meliha, an established finance leader with a breadth of experience across services, operations and major construction projects, will report to president and CEO, Gregor Craig and takes up her new post later this year.
Meliha joins Skanska UK from Network Rail, where she is currently finance director for the eastern region running from London to Scotland, its largest regional business with 10,000 employees. In this role she has overseen a significant portion of Network Rail’s investment budget in multi-billionpound programmes and projects. Prior to this Meliha served as managing director for the Anglia Route, leading multifunctional teams responsible for infrastructure management and service delivery for some of the most intensely operated rail routes into London.
Before joining Network Rail in 2012, Meliha worked for a diverse range of organisations including Serco and Huntsworth.
Gregor Craig, president and CEO of Skanska UK said, “I am delighted that Meliha will be joining us, bringing with her a broad experience across a variety of sectors. We look forward to welcoming her to Skanska.”
Meliha replaces current CFO Kelly Gangotra, who is leaving the business to take on a significant new opportunity outside the sector.
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