April has been probably the most unusual month many of us have ever experienced, and there has been only one thing that everyone has been talking about. Netflix’s The Tiger King.
Joe Exotic was narrowly topped as the biggest name of April by Captain Tom Moore’s valiant effort to raise over £30m for the NHS.
And Captain Tom isn’t the only person who is stepping into a new career path, let’s take a look at the major movers and shakers in transport and infrastructure from April…
Arup
Robert Davies has joined the consultancy as their Global Rolling Stock Leader. Davies joins from Bombardier where he has been Bid Director – High Speed Trains.
Tom Godfrey has also been appointed as Director, Rail Systems Engineering Lead. He leaves Bombardier where he was Head of Engineering UK, RCS Region North.
Alstom
Andy Jenkins has been appointed as Regional Director, Western & Wales. Jenkins was previously Operations Director on the ABC Electrification alliance and has most recently been acting as a Consultant for Alun Griffiths.
Carey Group
Have confirmed Jason Carey as its permanent Chief Executive. He along with his cousin Tommy Carey, had been joint Interim CEO since August 2019, when Denis Deacy stepped down.
They have also changed their Chief Financial Officer. Warren Underwood has taken over from Alan McCarthy, who stepped down after seven years at the business.
Stadler Rail
Have appointed Robert Baxter as UK Managing Director. Baxter leaves Jacobs where he has been Head of Rail and Executive Director, Operations since 2016.
Hitachi Rail
Angus Thom joins as Group Service and Maintenance Operations Director. Thom leaves ScotRail Alliance where he has been since 2007, most recently as Chief Operating Officer.
EDF
Belen de Ugarte has been appointed as a Programme Director for the Civils Infrastructure on Hinkley Point C. She joins the project from the DfT where she has been for the last 4 years, most recently as Deputy Director High Speed and Major Rail Projects Group – Programme Director.
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water
Simon Earl joins as Director of Water Service. Earl leaves South East Water where he has been Operations Director since 2015.
Rock Rail
Have announced the appointment of Jim Eldridge, as Regional Managing Director of their new operations in Australia. Eldridge joins from Commonwealth Bank in Australia (CBA) and will be based in Sydney. He returns to Rock Rail having worked with the business in 2016 while on secondment from CBA.
Stantec
Andrew Saunders has taken up the role of environmental services team as Sector Director for UK Highways and Rail. He joins from Arcadis, where he was a Senior Technical Director for Environmental Planning and Development Consent Orders.
FirstGroup
First Rail’s latest open access venture, East Coast Trains Ltd, has appointed Helen Wylde as its Managing Director. She joins from Connected Places Catapult where she was Chief Engagement Officer.
It has also been announced that Matthew Lee will join as Commercial and Customer Experience Director. Lee returns to FirstGroup from MTR Elizabeth line where he has been Deputy Customer Experience Director.
Arriva Rail London
Have appointed Paul Hutchings as Managing Director. Hutchings has most recently been working with Thomas Cook as their Managing Director of Thomas Cook Airlines UK and Group Director of Aircraft Operations.
Atkins
Chief Executive for Atkins Energy Martin Grant has left after 35 years with the business, stepping down as a company Director in March. Les Newman, the Regional Director for Resources, is now a full company Director.
West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE)
Former Transport for Greater Manchester Head of Rail, Amanda White has been appointed as Interim Programme Director to work on the development of railway stations in the West Midlands.
AECOM
Simon O’Connor has joined as Director, UK&I Rail Market Sector Lead (Buildings and Places). O’Connor has been Regional Director, Infrastructure Lead Midlands at Faithful + Gould for the past 2 years.
Kier Living
Nick Moore has resigned the post of Managing Director which he took on last July following the exit of John Anderson. He has been succeeded by David Bridges.
MTR Corporation (Crossrail)
James Linley joins as Head of Performance. He leaves South Western Railway where he has been Control Centre Programme Manager.
Interserve
Paul MacFarlane leaves Amey to become HR Director at Interserve Construction. He has been HR Director of Amey’s Utilities business since 2016.
Nexus
Stuart Clarke has secured the role of Metro Infrastructure Director – heading up the maintenance and modernisation work on the 77km Metro network. Clarke joined Nexus in 1997 as an apprentice electrician.
