Metroline London has named Katie Frost (pictured, above) as CEO. She is the first woman to hold that post at the operator and succeeds Sean O’Shea, who is now Chief Commercial Officer of parent ComfortDelGro UK and Ireland.
Ms Frost takes responsibility for a business that operates around 1,500 buses on 100 routes in the capital and employs almost 5,000 staff. She brings more than two decades’ senior leadership in the UK transport sector.
Most recently Ms Frost served as Route Director, Anglia, at Network Rail. There she led complex, large-scale operations, oversaw major infrastructure programmes, and worked closely with partners to deliver a safe, reliable and resilient service for passengers.
Metroline notes how during her career so far, Ms Frost has built a strong reputation for operational excellence, transformational leadership, and customer-focused service delivery.
It adds that her leadership style is “grounded in collaboration, accountability and employee engagement, with a clear emphasis on empowering frontline teams to deliver high-quality outcomes.”
Speaking about her move, Ms Frost says: “I am delighted to be joining Metroline London at such an important time for the business. Metroline has a strong reputation for operational performance, safety and customer service, and I am excited to work with colleagues across the organisation to build on these foundations.
“Public transport plays a vital role in supporting London’s communities and economy, and my focus will be on continuing to deliver reliable, high-quality services for passengers, investing in our people, and advancing Metroline’s role in delivering more sustainable transport for the city.”
Mr O’Shea’s move to ComfortDelGro UK and Ireland ensures continuity of leadership and strategic alignment across the group, it says. During his tenure as Metroline London CEO, he oversaw a period of sustained growth and rapid rollout of zero-emission buses across multiple garages.
Commenting on the change in responsibilities, Mr O’Shea says: “It has been a privilege to lead Metroline London and to work alongside such committed and professional colleagues.
“I am delighted to welcome Katie as our new CEO. Her depth of experience, inclusive leadership style and clear focus on customers, people and performance make her exceptionally well suited to lead Metroline London through its next phase of development.”
ComfortDelGro UK and Ireland Bus and Coach Chief Executive Officer Edward Thomas underlines Mr O’Shea’s words, noting that Ms Frost’s leadership of Metroline London will be instrumental as the business continues its role in the capital’s public transport network.
“I would also like to recognise Sean O’Shea for his leadership of Metroline London through a period of sustained growth and progress towards zero-emission operations,” continues Mr Thomas.
“His appointment as Chief Commercial Officer for ComfortDelGro UK and Ireland supports the group’s focus on driving growth, strengthening commercial performance, and advancing our wider ambitions.”
