trentbarton and its parent group Wellglade are to welcome John Bickerton as their new group engineering director.
John will take up the newly created role in January. The Chartered Engineer joins from Arriva UK Bus where he was head of zero emissions.
It’s a return to the East Midlands for the former Derbyshire man. His career has also included innovation and engineering roles at Reading Buses, East West Rail and First UK Bus.
John’s new job will include directing the care of the more than 400 buses and coaches in the combined fleets, which are based at six depots. Their maintenance and servicing are vital to the bus operators’ daily operations.
He will lead a team of engineering managers and around 100 engineers and apprentices.
John, 41, said: “I’m very much looking forward to joining Wellglade. The group is an admired name in the industry for its focus on customer service, high standards and quality fleet presentation.
“I travelled on the group’s buses when I went to school so it is exciting to resume the journey now in my career in public transport.
“The next decade is going to be extremely interesting for bus operators as the nation moves towards a zero carbon future. We already carry more people per tailpipe than any other sector and buses will be a big part of decarbonisation, including at Wellglade.”
Wellglade chairman Brian King said: “John has a first class track record in public transport engineering and we are very pleased that he will be joining us.
“He impressed us with his passion for public transport that is both environmentally and commercially sustainable and that chimes with our desire to provide services that are green, clean and attractive for our customers.”
The group engineering role has been created in a management reorganisation at Wellglade and trentbarton. Wellglade’s operators also include Kinchbus, Notts & Derby and TM Travel.
trentbarton group commercial director Tom Morgan will step up to the new role of managing director (buses) for Wellglade’s bus operators after trentbarton and Kinchbus managing director Jeff Counsell retires in February.
