Tom steps up to top role at bus group

The new managing director for all the bus operators in trentbarton’s parent company Wellglade has taken up his post.

Trentbarton’s group commercial director Tom Morgan has stepped up to his new role following the recent retirement of trentbarton and Kinchbus managing director Jeff Counsell.

Wellglade bus operators also include Midland General, Notts & Derby and TM Travel.

Tom joined Wellglade in 2009 to work on the Nottingham Tramlink project and has subsequently been trentbarton’s assistant operations manager for Derby and the general manager at Kinchbus before taking on directorial roles across operations and then commercial.

He said: “It’s an honour to lead our wonderful teams, fronted by our friendly local drivers.

“Working across the group, benefits all the operators and enables us to take advantage of closer cooperation.

“There is more and more crossover between fully commercial and supported services, and the group structure now means we are best placed to take advantage of all new opportunities regardless of their type.

“trentbarton and Kinchbus will remain a major focus for me and I will also be supporting the great managers who run all our operators.

“I want all our teams to be empowered to think of their team as their own business that they can develop and improve, enhancing their key role within the communities they serve.

“We are not afraid to innovate, and we will capitalise on technological advances to keep our offering simple and to enhance our customers’ experience from the moment they leave their front door.

“The number one challenge remains getting more people back on buses, so we will be building on our really strong relationships with our local councils to overcome the biggest obstacle we face – congestion.

“We can’t solve that problem alone, but we can, and will, work with local authorities to identify the biggest traffic pinch points and come up with solutions and cooperate with them to implement those answers.

“Less congestion means quicker journeys which means we can boost timetables, invest in the fleet, and retain value for money fares.

“We will also focus on cleaner transport and explore the potential of electric and hydrogen buses.

“Wellglade’s board are local bus people through and through and that, combined with our size, means we can be quick to make decisions and try new things.”

Wellglade chairman Brian King said: “Tom has a wide experience of the bus companies in our group, having held various positions over the last few years from operating depots to heading up our commercial and marketing functions.

“We wish him well in his new role as managing director of those bus companies.

“Alongside the recent arrival of John Bickerton as group engineering director, the group is now better positioned for our operators to create synergies and seize new opportunities.”