Carlais indriving seatof business
Linda Hill, pictured centre, is the new president of Scottish Bakers
A major Perth-based bus and transport operator has announced the appointment of a new UK managing director.
Carla Stockton-Jones will take up her new role at Stagecoach, Britain’s biggest bus, coach and tram company, and becomes the first woman to head a major private sector multi-modal public transport operation in the UK.
The appointment follows a thorough competitive process involving internal and external candidates over a number of months.
She succeeds Mark Threapleton, who retired this summer.
Carla will be responsible for the business with 24,000 people, more than 8000 buses, coaches and trams and an annual turnover of around £1.3 billion.
In addition to her company roles, Carla has worked as a member of the Maggie’s cancer care board since 2016, helping raise awareness and funding for the charity to achieve its vision of having a care centre attached to every NHS hospital in the UK.
Carla said: “I’m proud to be heading the UK business as Stagecoach marks 40 years of keeping Britain connected.
“Stagecoach, its people and its services have made and continue to make a hugely positive impact on our economy, in our communities and in protecting our environment.
“Partnership is more important than ever if we are to give our communities the green transport connections they need.
“I’m absolutely committed to working closely with national government, the mayors in our biggest city regions, and our local authority partners and other stakeholders to make that happen.
“I’m also looking forward to continuing the work underway to ensure the business has the right shape so we can unlock new opportunities.
“I want to make the most of the diverse talent we have across Stagecoach, bring a fresh perspective to the business and ensure we are 100 per cent focused on our current and future customers.”
Stagecoach chief executive, Martin Griffiths, said: “Carla has a proven track record in retail and service roles across a range of highly competitive sectors.
“She has a passion for delivering large-scale transformation programmes, fostering innovation and motivating teams to deliver results.”