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Transport for London (TfL) has appointed Claire Mann, currently managing director of South Western Railway (SWR), as its new chief operating officer.
Ms Mann will take up the post previously occupied by Andy Lord, who became TfL's interim transport commissioner last year with the departure of Andy Byford and was given the post permanently this summer.
Mr Lord said: ‘Claire is an outstanding transport professional with deep experience of improving customer service.
Claire Mann
‘At a time when customer numbers continue to rise and we work to support London's post-pandemic recovery and attract new customers, Claire's customer focus and wide-ranging public transport industry background will play a vital role in our work.
'We are delighted to have her return to TfL in this key leadership position.’
Ms Mann said: ‘I am passionate about delivering an excellent customer experience across all of TfL's varied and vital services and helping TfL and London to prosper.'
TfL said Ms Mann will be responsible for ensuring that its directly operated and contracted services and operations are planned and managed effectively to provide a safe, efficient, reliable and high-quality service to customers at a crucial time for London's transport network.
The role will see her lead the planning and delivery of services on the Tube, Elizabeth Line, London Overground and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) as well as the bus and tram networks, cable car and Santander Cycle Hire.
She will also have responsibility for the management of TfL roads and road infrastructure, policing and security of the transport network and TfL's regulation of the taxi and private hire industry.
Ms Mann was TfL’s director of bus operations between 2017 and 2021 and returns after three years at SWR, where she oversaw the introduction of a £1bn fleet of new trains and led the £26m modernisation of the Island Line on the Isle of Wight.
In more than two decades in the transport sector, she also held roles at DLR, Arriva Trains Wales, the former First Great Western (now GWR), and London Overground.
Glynn Barton, who has led TfL’s operations on an interim basis since October 2022, will continue as chief operating officer until Ms Mann joins at the end of March 2024.
Channel: Transportation
keywords:
Transport Planning
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Costain has snapped up Jonathan Willcock, former MD of Skanska UK’s Infrastructure Division, to become the managing director of its transportation division.
Mr Willcock has worked at Skanska for the last three years, helping increase revenue and market share in sectors including highways and rail.
Jonathan Willcock
Before that, he spent seven years as the managing director of Alstom Transport UK’s Systems, Signalling and Infrastructure Division, growing the business and winning key work from Network Rail.
He said: ‘The breadth of Costain’s service offering is a unique selling point, and I’m looking forward to building on our relationships with our Transportation customers and showing how we can meet their needs.’
Alex Vaughan, Costain’s chief executive officer, said: ‘Infrastructure will play a significant part in how we respond to the challenges of climate change and boosting economic growth.
'I know that the addition of Jonathan to our executive team will help Costain contribute positively to these challenges and support the growth and diversification of our services across the transportation market.’
Mr Willcock will join Costain in early April.
David Taylor remains interim managing director for transportation until then.
Channel: Transportation
keywords:
Business
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Lord Davies of Gower has been appointed as a junior minister in the Department for Transport, replacing long-serving minister Baroness Vere.
Prior to his appointment as parliamentary under secretary of state (roads and local transport), Lord Byron Davies (pictured) had been a Lord in Waiting (government whip) since September 2022.
Lord Davies of Gower
He was a Member of Parliament from 2015 to 2017, before which he was a Member of the Welsh Assembly from 2011 to 2015. He is a former detective with the Metropolitan Police.
Baroness Charlotte Vere, who had been parliamentary under secretary of state at the DfT since April 2019, was appointed parliamentary secretary at the Treasury as part of a reshuffle that saw three of five ministers replaced.
One new minister, Anthony Browne, has taken over responsibility for cycling and walking from Jesse Norman, who announced that he was leaving the Government as the reshuffle began on Monday morning.
Cycling UK chief executive Sarah Mitchell said she hoped that Mr Browne ‘will be able to re-establish the positive rhetoric on our transport options’.
She said: ‘Cycling UK looks forward to working with Anthony Browne as he takes up the role as the new minister for cycling and walking in England.
‘Given the minister’s former role as vice chair of the all party environment group, we know that he will have a strong sense of the environmental benefits of more people choosing to walk and cycle for short local journeys - we hope that he'll support the policies and funding that help make this a reality.’
Channel: Transportation
keywords:
Transport Planning
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Amey has appointed Danny Gilbert as transportation strategy director, with responsibility for long-term strategic growth across its Transport Infrastructure business unit.
The firm said Mr Gilbert will create additional opportunities for clients to fully utilise the breadth of its service offering across its operational, design and advisory and analytics expertise, whilst also evolving its capabilities to meet future client needs.
Danny Gilbert
Peter Anderson, Amey’s managing director of transport infrastructure, said: ‘I am delighted to welcome Danny to the Transport Infrastructure executive team to drive our customer-centric culture across the business.
'The UK Government has rightly set ambitious Net Zero targets, and we support all of our clients to advise, lead and deliver the sustainable solutions needed for future generations to prosper.
‘Danny’s knowledge and relationships will enable us to use our engineering and operational expertise to help Amey and our clients meet these ambitions and transform the communities we within we deliver.’
Mr Gilbert added: ‘Working in harmony with our clients and stakeholders across the UK is key to ensure the value of infrastructure is both recognised and realised. Transforming infrastructure through the data-enabled digitalisation of services to improve mobility is critical to deliver a more sustainable, equitable and inclusive economy that benefits local people and local places’.
Mr Gilbert spent all of his 30-year career in the transport sector, where he has held client, consultant and operator roles, which Amey said provides a well-rounded perspective to enhance its customer-centric culture.
He is joining Amey from international transport operator Arriva, where he spent 15 years in a variety of roles, overseeing business development, work winning and long-term strategic growth.
Most recently as chief commercial officer, he developed the firm’s commercial strategy and growth agenda.
Channel: Transportation
keywords:
Transport Planning
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Passenger watchdog Transport Focus has appointed Alex Robertson as its new chief executive.
Mr Robertson (pictured) will join the watchdog on 1 December from the Pensions Ombudsman, where he has been chief operating officer since 2020.
Transport Focus - which acts as the watchdog for users of both public transport and the strategic road network - said current boss Anthony Smith would be stepping down at the end of the year.
It added that Mr Robertson impressed during the selection process with his wide-ranging experience, passion for the needs of the transport user and vision for its future development ‘as an even more effective voice for the transport user’.
Mr Robertson said: ‘I am very excited to be able to lead Transport Focus in its important work to represent transport users and I’m looking forward to meeting the team and getting to know the transport sector again.’
Transport Focus chair Nigel Stevens said: ‘On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to announce Alex Robertson as the new Transport Focus chief executive.
‘I look forward to working with him as we seek to ensure Transport Focus continues to be a powerful voice for the transport user, championing the needs of today’s user and influencing the policy decisions for the future.’
Prior to his current role, Mr Robertson was executive director for strategy and operations with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
In his early career he spent over five years at Transport for London, working in policy and public affairs. After a brief spell in the voluntary sector, he moved to the Electoral Commission where he was director of communications and the programme director for the Scottish and EU referenda.
Transport Focus is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Transport.
Channel: Highways
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