​FORMER OXFORD BUS COMPANY APPRENTICE APPOINTED OPERATIONS DIRECTOR AFTER CLIMBING THE RANKS

The Oxford Bus Company has bolstered its senior management team with the appointment of Paul Hennigan as Operations Director.

Paul has been promoted internally, marking a rise through the ranks at Oxford Bus Company after joining as a trainee mechanical engineer 21 years ago. Paul was previously Head of Operations and began

his new role last month overseeing operations of Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel, Oxford City Sightseeing and Carousel Buses.

On his appointment Paul said: “I’m relishing the new challenge and looking forward to continuing our constant drive to deliver the best possible customer experience we can provide and achieve excellence in all areas of the business.”

Phil Southall, Oxford Bus Company Managing Director said: “Paul brings a great deal of experience to the role which will help develop our colleagues and enable us to keep providing an excellent service to our customers daily. Transport is an ever-changing industry and it is important we stay ahead of advancements and best practice and Paul’s experience will play a continued key role in our progression.

Paul’s promotion is richly deserved and demonstrates what can be achieved via hard work combined with the excellent personal development schemes in place at the Go-Ahead Group.”

Paul qualified from his four-year apprenticeship in 2002 and worked on MOT preparation, before moving into road-side recovery and later joining the night-shift team to work on servicing. Paul was promoted to Night-shift Leading Hand in 2007 and embarked on a post graduate management studies qualification, visiting many other bus companies as part of the course. In 2009 Paul moved into engineering management and joined the senior management team. In 2010 Paul joined the ‘Go Ahead Talent Pool’ and took part in an executive development programme. He was appointed Head of Operations in 2014 to replace Phil when he was promoted to Managing Director.

Paul said: “The Go-Ahead Group and Oxford Bus Company are superb for personal development and I’m grateful for the opportunities I have been given. The Go-Ahead development programme encourages the sharing of best practice across the group, which has really broadened my horizons.

“The transition from being on the tools to a supervisory role and then management, was a challenge, but I treat everyone with respect and there is a real team spirit across the company. No day is the same in operations, it’s a very dynamic area in which things can change very quickly. We oversee 700 to 800 drivers across the business and I get to meet so many different people.

“The biggest change in my career has been in technology, the development of vehicles has been incredible. We now have some of the cleanest vehicles on the road, and we are now retrofitting our CitySightseeing buses to electric. We are committed to driving the emissions agenda and remaining at the forefront of technological advancements.

“I would recommend the bus industry as a career; Oxford Bus Company really invests in people and provides a platform for personal growth.”