Experienced Chartered Engineer, Manager and Director of organisations in the rail sector.
Currently retired following a career spanning 54 years in the rail industry commencing with an engineering apprenticeship through various engineering roles culminating in becoming the Engineering Director of a market leading railway infrastructure contractor responsible for setting policy and strategy,.
Specialist knowledge in mechanical and electrical engineering, project management and Health and Safety.
Undertook an MBA in the early 90s providing opportunity to grow my skill base and prepare me for a career in the private sector.
Fellow of the IMechE, IET and PWI.
VolkerRail Limited
Engineering Director (Now retired)
2010 - December 2021
Lead the engineering team of a leading railway infrastructure contractor, responsible for determining engineering policy and strategy and ensuring compliance with Statutory and Mandatory requirements.
Member of cross industry groups responsible for the determination of standards and procedures ensuring the safe operaion and maintenance of the GB rail network
VolkerRail Specialists Businesses
Professional Head of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering
2007 to 2010
Developing standards and codes of practice to ensure compliance with client standards and National/International standards.
Balfour Beatty Rail Projects
Senior Engineering Manager
2003 to 2007
Create a Multi-Disciplinary Consultancy business stream to enable the company to diversify from a traditional design and build contractor to an offering of upfront consultancy services on large scale rail projects.
Many years in general and senior management positions.
Represented British Rail on BSI committees giving a good experience of National and International standards.
Served on rail industry committees developing Railway Group standards and latterly European standards for interoperability.
Chair of the Rail Industry Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Group for the last seven years.
Highly qualified in Health and Safety management including British Safety Council Level 3 qualifications
Member of team successful in winning the bid to build the High-speed rail college in Doncaster, developed the National Rail Standards for engineering that are embedded in the curriculum for the college.
Member of Project steering group successful in winning the bid for the Doncaster UTC.
As an engineer with British Rail I entered general management in circa 1980 rising through the ranks to an executive position at the time of privatisation. In 1995 appointed to the position of Professional Head of M & EE leading the M & EE function.
As an engineer data handling is inherent in everything, analysing data and turning this into useable information is and has been a core requirement of my career.
A core module of my MBA was financial management. In practice I have been responsible for developing budgets and working to them. I have experience as a project manager with British Rail where I was responsible for projects in excess of £88m at 1991 price levels. I am currently responsible for the P & L of my engineering group which contributes to a very healthy VolkerRail performance with excellent contribution levels and cash position.
Prior to retirement in December 2021 I spent over 54 years in the rail industry in a variety of positions starting with British Rail a nationalised organisation and latterly for the last 25 years in the private sector.
I have worked with people at all levels from the coal face to the boardroom and feel at ease in either environment.
A great deal of my time over the last ten years or so has majored on the development of people to satisfy an ever increasing skills gap in the rail industry and the country as a whole. This has included development of apprentices, ex military personnel and upskilling of the current workforce.