Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE
Minister of State for Transport

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Transport on 8 July 2024.

Vernon Everitt
Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester
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.

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.

Claire Mann
Chief Operating Officer
Transport for London

Claire took up the position of Chief Operating Officer at Transport for London (TfL) in April 2024. Claire will oversee all of TfL's modes of transport as well as TfL's roads and infrastructure, cable car and cycle hire. Claire is responsible for ensuring TfL's directly operated and contracted services and operations are planned and managed effectively to provide a safe, efficient, reliable and high-quality service to customers.

Richard Moody
Programme Director (freight reform)
GBR Transition Team

Richard Moody is Programme Director for freight reform at the Great British Railways Transition Team, whilst also leading on freight strategy, policy, advocacy and transformation in the single Railfreight team across Network Rail and GBRTT.

Richard has recently successfully led the delivery of options for a long-term rail freight growth target and a track access discount policy to stimulate freight growth for new to rail freight.

Richard started this position in December 2022, having previously been the Head of Strategy, Policy and Transformation within the Strategic Freight Unit since June 2021.

Previously Richard has worked in a range of passenger and freight roles delivering strategy, analysis and timetables within Network Rail. Prior to rail Richard spent 10 years working in aviation operations.

Kathryn Oldale
Head of Strategy, Policy and Communications
DB Cargo

Maggie Simpson OBE
Director General
Rail Freight Group

Maggie Simpson is Director General of the Rail Freight Group, the representative body for rail freight in the UK. Since joining in 2005 she has worked to promote growth in rail freight and to support member companies of the Group in their activities. She is also a Trustee of the Railway Benefit Fund.

Anthony Smith
Director
Consumer Focus

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.

Caroline Stickland
Chief Executive
Transport for All

As CEO at Transport for All, Caroline works to ensure the organisation is making an impact and delivering on its goals: challenging and removing the barriers to travel that are faced by Deaf, disabled and older people across the UK. Caroline brings her lived experience as a disabled person, and an academic interest in health, impairment, and disability, to her role. Alongside driving forward the organisation's advice, community and policy work, Caroline has led on the development of Transport for All's Access Partner consultancy service – providing disabled led consultancy support to the transport sector and leading a transformation of how disabled people are engaged with by decision makers.

Edward Thomas
Partner, UK Head of Transport and 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.

Natasha Grice
Director
Transport Focus

Prior to her current position, Natasha spent over twenty years on the West Coast Mainline with the majority of that time with Virgin Trains. Carrying out various roles from the frontline to the boardroom she has focused on both customer and people throughout her career. She was a part of the executive team at Virgin Trains for four years as Executive Director People and Culture and as Executive Director Customer Experience.

Prof Mark Barry
Professor of Practice in Connectivity
Cardiff University

Mark has nearly forty years' international experience in multiple industries including management consultancy, biotech, IT, finance, economic development & transport.

Since 2010, Mark has been working on first conceiving and then developing the South Wales Metro (or Cardiff Capital Region Metro) concept. 

Full bio here

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.

Cllr Liam Robinson, Leader, Liverpool City Council
Leader
Liverpool City Council

Liam Robinson is a British Labour and Co-operative Party politician who has served as the leader of Liverpool City Council since the re-establishment of the position in May 2023. Additionally, he holds the portfolio for innovation in the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and is also the chair of Merseytravel.

Mike Bagshaw
Managing Director
MTR Elizabeth Line

Mike was appointed Managing Director of MTR Elizabeth line in February 2023. He first joined MTR in 2016 as Bid Director before becoming Performance and Planning Director of MTR Elizabeth line in 2018 and Chief Operating Officer of MTR UK in 2021.