Huw Merriman MP
Minister of State for Transport

Huw Merriman was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Transport on 27 October 2022. He has been the Member of Parliament for the Bexhill and Battle constituency since 2015.

Before entering Parliament, Huw studied Law at the University of Durham, and qualified as a barrister. He then worked as an in-house financial lawyer and a managing director, and also served as a councillor on Wealden District Council between 2007 and 2015.

Before his ministerial career, Huw sat on the Transport Select Committee, and served as its Chair between 2020 and 2022. Huw also worked as a Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions and at HM Treasury.

Andy Bagnall
Chief Executive Officer
Rail Partners

Andy has over twenty years of experience within government, across the private sector and most recently as the Director General at the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), where he coordinated policy and advocacy activities.

Andy has held a number of policy and communications jobs, initially joining Rail Delivery Group as the Director of Strategy and Communications and then becoming Chief Strategy Officer. Prior to this Andy was KPMG's Director of External Affairs, and spent five years at the CBI as Director of Campaigns. He was previously a special adviser to the UK government, serving two cabinet ministers in three departments over four years.

Prof David Begg
Former Government Transport Advisor

Professor David Begg is a former Government Transport Advisor, chairing the influential Commission for Integrated Transport which was established in 1999 to advise the Government and hold it to account on the delivery of its policies.

He was Professor of Transport Policy at Robert Gordon University, leading the research team at The Centre for Transport Policy and is currently a visiting Professor at Plymouth University.

He has extensive experience as a Chair and non-executive director in numerous companies in the private sector and organisations in the public sector.

He chaired Tube Lines, the company set up to deliver infrastructure upgrades and new trains on London Underground, as part of the Public Private Partnership. He was chairman of EAMS - an asset management company and was a non-executive director and chair of the remuneration committee at First Group PLC - a former FTSE 100 company.  He was also a non-executive director at BAA when it owned Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Southampton airports and chaired the sustainability, health and security committee at Heathrow Airport.  He has also been a non-executive director on British Rail, the Strategic Rail Authority, Transport for London and Transport for Greater Manchester as well as chair of the Transport Group on the Northern Way.

He has been an advisor to Serco, City Space, Thales and Cubic.

He chaired the Transport Committee on Lothian Region and Edinburgh City Councils, led the Winter Resilience Enquiry at Heathrow Airport in 2011 and the Glasgow Connectivity Commission in 2017.

He was founder and owner of Transport Times from 2005 to 2020 and the architect of the National Transport Awards, Scottish Transport Awards and London Transport Awards.

In his spare time, David enjoys supporting Hibernian football club in Scotland and Arsenal in England and is a keen golfer. 

Rufus Boyd
Lead Director
Great British Railways

Rufus Boyd is the Lead Director (interim) at Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT), bringing over 35 years of railway experience to the development of the reform programme. He has a strong passion for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion as part of a broader desire to diversify who chooses to make a career in the rail industry.

In his broad ranging railway career Rufus started in British Rail as a Supervisor at Euston Station followed up by stints as Derby's Station Manager, and in the HQ public affairs team. Then moving on to Railtrack as Account Executive in the Southern Zone, and then to several owning groups, bidding for contracts UK and overseas. He later worked as a consultant, spending two years in Australia where he developed the concept of operations for Sydney Metro.

Cllr Carla Denyer
Co-Leader
Green Party

Carla is co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, elected along with Adrian Ramsay in October 2021.

She has been a Bristol City Councillor since 2015, forming a critical part of the largest Green councillor group in the UK which saw unprecedented success at the May local elections in 2021.

In 2018 Carla proposed the first Climate Emergency declaration in Europe, committing Bristol to go carbon neutral by 2030 and starting a wave of similar declarations from councils and other organisations across the UK.

Carla is the Green Party's candidate for Bristol Central in the next General Election.

Carla is an engineer, previously working in the renewable energy industry with a specialism in
offshore and onshore wind energy.

Helen Ellerton
Head of Transport Policy
West Yorkshire Combined Authority

Helen joined the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in 2017 and has held the Head of Transport Policy role since May 2021. Helen has previously had almost 10 years in transport Consultancy working in and leading transport policy teams. Whilst in Consultancy Helen led on a number of large funding bids and business cases for several Combined Authorities and worked in the team to establish Transport for the North.

Helen is now leading the Transport Policy team at the Combined Authority to lead and develop the policies and strategies across the full transport portfolio. Working in partnership with Senior Political Members, District Partners and external stakeholders Helen leads complex and challenging policy discussions and negotiations. She also leads on the development of the transport policies and strategies as they move into programmes for delivery, through the development of funding bids and subsequent negotiations with Senior Government officials.

In recent years, West Yorkshire has established itself as a major urban transport force and as an exemplar city region for multi-modal transport delivery. In the coming year, in particular, WYCA will develop and consult on a new Local Transport Plan, progress the move to bus franchising; bring forward its proposals for the first mass transit lines for consultation; continue to deliver its current £1 billion-plus multi-modal investment programme; progress the case Northern Powerhouse rail connectivity; and, most importantly, continue to support the travel needs of our 2.3 million residents on a daily basis.

Helen has a passion for the role transport plays in delivering sustainable and inclusive city regions for everyone to be able to live and work, creating a positive outcome for West Yorkshire. Helen enjoys working with a range of people to champion change and particularly enjoys collaborating with partners and stakeholder organisations and has extensive experience of managing complex and competing priorities, communicating and negotiating with senior partners, officials and political members including senior Leaders and the Mayor.

Vernon Everitt
Transport Commissioner
Greater Manchester

With over 40 years' experience across the finance, transport and technology sectors, Vernon is the Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester. He advises Mayor Andy Burnham on the development of the Bee Network, a fully-integrated, London-style transport system for this growing 3 million strong city-region.

From 2007 to January 2022 he was Managing Director for Customers, Communication and Technology at Transport for London and held a number of other senior jobs there. Vernon's primary focus was on putting customers at the heart of transport strategy and operations, including how integration of services, city planning, technology and data can deliver better journeys. He led the successful pan-Government and transport industry marketing and communications strategy for the London 2012 Olympic Games, the largest ever integrated campaign of its kind.

Vernon has worked at senior level at the Financial Services Authority and the Bank of England over the previous 18 years in a variety of banking, regulatory, corporate and communications roles.

Vernon is a non-executive director of Transport for Wales, is senior advisor to the consultancy Teneo and chairs the National Grid ESO Technology Advisory Council as the generation and distribution of energy across the country is transformed.

Alistair Gordon
Chief Executive
Keolis UK, Middle East, and India

Mr Alistair Gordon is a leading figure in the UK public transport sector.

He has been the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Keolis UK since 2010 and has successfully grown the business over the past 14 years, most significantly to becoming the leading metro and light rail operator in the UK. The delivery of this growth included high-profile contract wins of the iconic Docklands Light Railway in London and the country's largest tram network, Manchester Metrolink.

Mr Gordon's success in the UK provided the catalyst for the parent company to give him leadership responsibility for the successful bidding of the Dubai Metro and Tram networks contract. He subsequently added the Dubai networks to his CEO responsibilities and now also has responsibility for metro operations in Doha (Qatar) and Hyderabad (India) in his expanded management portfolio.

Mr Gordon is a member of the Executive Leadership team of the parent company, providing strategic advice and support to the Group's Executive Chairwoman/Executive CEO.

Before joining Keolis in 2004 he held senior posts within Eurostar, the high-speed train service operating between London and Paris/Brussels including Strategy Director and Commercial Director. Prior to this he worked as a consultant for the prestigious global consultancy companies, Steer Davies Gleave and Jacobs.

Mr Gordon is a graduate in Mathematics from University College London (UCL).

Claire Haigh
Executive Director
Zemo Partnership

Claire Haigh was appointed as Executive Director of Zemo Partnership in January 2024. Claire comes to Zemo from Greener Vision where she was the Founder & CEO. Greener Vision is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to encouraging the switch to a greener future

She also chairs the Delivery & Impacts Independent Review Panel for the Government's Joint Air Quality Unit (DfT/Defra) and is Executive Director of the Transport Knowledge Hub. She was formerly the Chief Executive of the sustainable transport group Greener Journeys, and of the not-for-profit organisation Greener Transport Solutions. She has been a Board Member of Transport for Greater Manchester and was Vice-Chair of Zemo Partnership.

Claire is also an artist motivated by a desire for positive change. "If we want to change behaviours, we need to change the premises which led to them". Her work The Tabula Project aims to provide a new perspective on the mind.

Nick Hughes
Senior Sales Director
Hitachi Rail

Nick is the Senior Director for Sales for Hitachi in the UK & Ireland and based in the London global headquarters. With over 20 years' experience selling rolling stock and services across the rail sector. Nick has built on Hitachi Rail impressive sales record to secure new rolling stock, maintenance contracts across the UK and Ireland – including West of England, Transpennine, Hull Trains, Lumo, East Midland, West Coast Partnership and HS2. Nick joined Hitachi in June 2015 after previously serving as Chairman & UK Country Representative for Ansaldo STS UK and earlier as Sales and Marketing Director for Alstom Transport.

Paul Hirst
Head of Transport
Addleshaw Goddard

Paul Hirst is Head of the Transport Sector Group at Addleshaw Goddard and Chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership Transport Committee. With over 25 years' experience, he is rated as one of the UK's top transport lawyers with an unrivalled breadth of experience in the sector including rail infrastructure schemes, development of business cases in accordance with DfT and Treasury guidance, light rail schemes, heavy rail franchising, rolling stock procurement and leasing and advising a range of public and private sector clients.

Dyan Perry OBE
Chair
High Speed Rail Group

Dyan Perry started out her career as station manager at Peckham Rye before quickly climbing the ranks within British Rail and moving to Railtrack. She left Railtrack joining Arriva Trains Northern in 2002 and rose to become the first ever female Managing Director of a train operator, successfully boosting Northern from its position as the UK's worst ranked train operator at the time she joined. She then joined Network Rail, where she would remain until 2014, holding a variety of Route Director and Operations positions.

Perry then joined the UK's largest train operator Govia Thameslink Railway as Chief Operating Officer, before moving in 2016 to become CEO of HS1 Ltd, Britain's only currently operating High Speed route. She stepped down in 2024 but retains a number of other positions, including as Chair of the High Speed Rail Group, Deputy Chair of the British Transport Police Authority, Chair of the National Skills Academy for Rail and a non-executive director for East West Railway. She is also on the advisory panel for the Great British Railways Transition Team. She has been a board trustee of the Railway Children charity and a trustee of Women in Rail, as well as a member of both the Chartered Institute for Marketing and Institute of Leadership and Management.

Perry's dedicated to the rail industry was recognised in the Queen's Jubilee Honours in 2022 where she received an OBE for her work in breaking barriers for female progression in rail. In 2023 Perry won the Outstanding Personal Contribution award at RAIL's 2023 National Rail Awards.

Jason Prince
Director
Urban Transport Group

Prior to joining UTG in July 2023, Jason was Head of Public Affairs for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority for over three years and he also worked for Transport for Greater Manchester for four years. During both roles, Jason was actively involved in working with partners on buses, specifically the Bus Services Act (2017) and its impact on the future of transport in Greater Manchester, supporting the early development of Greater Manchester's Bee Network and rail projects including HS2, and on innovation and devolution.

Before joining TfGM in 2016, Jason worked for a Member of Parliament, supporting on key policy areas of transport and energy.

Prior to working in politics, Jason held a variety of positions in the private and third sector. He was a business development manager in the field of welfare to work for nearly five years. He was also an operations manager for a third sector organisation across the North of England.

Baroness Randerson
Transport Spokesperson
Liberal Democrats

Jenny Randerson is a Liberal Democrat Peer and since 2016 she has been Spokesperson on Transport.

From 2012 – 2015 she was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales and Minister with responsibility for Northern Ireland in the Lords.

She is a member of the Lords' Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, and has in the past been a member of the Common Frameworks Committee and the EU Sub Committee on the Single Market.

Since 2019 she has been Chancellor of Cardiff University, having previously been Pro Chancellor there and also a Governor at Cardiff Metropolitan University

Jenny was appointed to the House of Lords in January 2011, following 12 years as a Member of the Welsh Assembly (now Senedd), representing Cardiff Central constituency. From 2000 – 2003 she was Minister for Culture, Sport and the Welsh Language. From 2001-2002 she was Acting Deputy First Minister. She has also been a shadow minister in Wales for other portfolios including Economic Development, Transport and Health. From 2003-2007 she was Chair of the Assembly's Business Committee.

Jenny was a Cardiff City Councillor from 1983 to 2000 and from 1995-1999 she was Leader of the Opposition on the Council. By profession she worked in further education, lecturing on Economics and European Business.

Her political interests also include health and she has campaigned for better treatment for Hepatitis C patients and on organ donation rates. She is involved in several charities, including those working on behalf of those with hearing loss.

Anne Shaw OBE
Executive Director
Transport for West Midlands

Anne Shaw OBE has worked in local government since the early 90's pursuing a career in public services where she has been able to make a difference to communities and the places where they live and work.

In July 2021, Anne was appointed Interim Managing Director of TfWM, and subsequently became the permanent Executive Director in early 2022. Here she is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership to support the delivery of TfWM's priorities as well as leading the WMCA's response to strategic transport planning, driving economic growth and championing transport innovation and development. Anne leads a team of experienced directors who plan the region's future development alongside delivering a £5.2bn investment programme and maintaining our operational assets.

She is part of an executive team at the West Midlands Combined Authority which leads on delivering better outcomes for people through an integrated investment programme for housing, skills, net zero and economic performance and improved connectivity with Transport investment.

Anne is currently the Deputy Chair of Urban Transport Group and a Department for Transport Champion on tackling Violence and aggression against Women and Girls across the public transport sector.

Anne was recognised by Every Women in Transport in 2020 for her leadership in the Customer and Passenger award, and more recently in 2023 Anne was awarded an OBE in the Kings Birthday Honours list for her contribution in leading the transport programme for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. In addition to this, in 2023 she was also awarded the institute award from the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportations of which she is a fellow in recognition of her leadership in the transport sector over her career.

Anthony Smith
Director, Consumer First Partnership

Anthony is currently chair of Independent Rail Retailers and the Heathrow Area Transport Forum. He is also a member of the Affinity Water Independent Consumer Challenge Group and Chair's the National Transport Awards judging panel.

Formerly Anthony was chief executive of Transport Focus and its predecessor bodies. He also worked at Consumers' Association and Consumers International. Having studied law, Anthony is also a qualified solicitor.

Miki Szikszai
Chief Executive
Snapper Services

Miki Szikszai has served as CEO of Snapper Services since February 2009. Miki has over 25 years of experience in developing and commercialising innovation for the benefit of customers. He also serves as a Board member at B2B SaaS companies Spotlight Reporting (Independent Director) and vWork (Chair).

Snapper's first services were in New Zealand, with an ambition for positive global impact. Snapper has since proven itself as a trusted service provider in the UK and EU region for almost a decade. With Mosaiq, Snapper is improving public transit data quality to drive high-performing transit networks.

Edward Thomas
Partner, UK Head of Transport & Global Chair, Public Transport
KPMG LLP

Ed is KPMG's Head of Transport in the UK – he also chairs KPMG's Global Public Transport network. Throughout his career, Ed has specialised in the rail sector leading major mandates for both public and private sector clients. In the public sector, Ed has headed up KPMG's work on Rail Reform including supporting GBRTT on the design of the Operating Model for Great British Railways and advising DfT on the commercial structure of the Passenger Services Contracts that it were proposed to replace rail franchises. Other major engagements included advising on the strategic case for HS2, supporting the Shaw Review which examined the long term structure of Network Rail and advising clients in the US and Singapore on contracting models. For the private sector, Ed helped build KPMG's business supporting private sector operators bidding for major rail, light rail and bus contracts. He has advised most of the leading industry players on successful bids including Firstgroup, Stagecoach, Virgin, Abellio (now Transport UK) and Keolis.

Cllr Louise Upton
Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities & Cycling Champion
Oxford City Council

Louise was educated at Grove Comprehensive School, Market Drayton, Shropshire. She obtained a BA (Hons) in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford (studying at New College) and a PhD in Cell Physiology from University College London. She lived and worked in Paris for 3 years before returning to the UK to continue working as a research scientist at the University of Oxford. She teaches neuroscience to medicine and psychology students.

Louise is the Council's Champion for Cycling. She speaks good French and learns Italian. For the sake of her mental health, so does not do social media.

Graham Vidler
Chief Executive
CPT

Graham has been Chief Executive of CPT since May 2019. Prior to joining the bus and coach industry he had worked in a variety of roles in the financial services industry, including directing external relations for the workplace pensions trade body, the PLSA, and as communications director for the market-leading pension scheme, NEST. Earlier in his career, Graham had also been Head of Policy at Which? and a researcher for numerous MPs while working in the House of Commons research service.

Lee Waters MS
Member of the Senedd for the Llanelli Constituency

Lee Waters is the Member of the Senedd for the Llanelli constituency. He was born and raised in Carmarthenshire. He was educated in Brynamman and Ammanford and gained a Degree in Politics from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

His policy interests are wide-ranging, including the economy, climate change, provision for looked after children, digital policy and the media.

Before being elected in May 2016, Lee was Director of Wales's leading independent think-tank, the Institute of Welsh Affairs. He previously ran the sustainable transport charity Sustrans Cymru where he led the campaign for the Active Travel Act. He is a former Chief Political Correspondent of ITV Wales and BBC Wales producer.

On 13 December 2018 he was appointed Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport. Lee served as Deputy Minister for Climate Change from 2021 to 2024.