Stagecoach has celebrated its inaugural Excellence Awards in a gala event at the London Transport Museum.
Held on 20 February, the ceremony saw over 800 nominations from the company’s 23,000-strong staff, highlighting contributions across 10 categories.
The awards were nominated by employees through the internal ‘Blink’ intranet site, and covered achievements from ‘customer champion’ to ‘unsung hero’.
Among the winners were individuals from eight operating companies, with additional honours going to two employees from the Perth Service Centre and one from Stagecoach Support Functions. The event culminated in the surprise Pride of Stagecoach award, bestowed upon East Scotland Supervisor Neil Graham, with Yorkshire driver Lisa Grayson receiving a highly commended accolade in the same category.
Neil Bridges, a driver from Stagecoach West, was awarded for his proactive approach in conducting independent route inspections and offering practical solutions, earning him the Going the Extra Mile award. South Wales driver and union representative Alud Spiller, celebrated as the ‘green champion’, was recognised for his sustainable initiatives, including a novel approach to repurposing fabric waste from old uniforms for charitable reuse.
Driver Dave Peach and Customer Engagement Assistant in Perth Samantha Cameron were honoured as ‘unsung hero’ and ‘brand champion’ respectively, for their contributions that often go unnoticed but are crucial to the company’s operations and brand image. London driver Stephen Porter’s innovative safety idea for pushchair seatbelts on buses, which was adopted by Transport for London, secured him the Safety Advocate award.
The ‘customer champion’ title was awarded to Cumbria and North Lancashire driver Alan Main for his exceptional service and charitable efforts, while fitter/mechanic Ryan Crick was named ‘best newcomer’ for his positive impact and collaborative spirit within his team. Operations Manager at Perth Service Centre Graeme Wright and Operations Director for Stagecoach West Scotland Alison McCluskie were recognised as ‘inspirational leader’ and for ‘lifetime achievement’ respectively, highlighting their contributions to the company.
Group Product Lead Duncan Hield received the Outstanding Innovation award for leading digital and connectivity improvements that have enhanced customer experience and operational efficiency.
Noting the difficulty in selecting winners from the overwhelming number of nominations, Stagecoach CEO Claire Miles says: “I really enjoyed meeting all of our finalists during the night and got to thank them for the incredible efforts they make to our business, going above and beyond to deliver exceptional services to our customers.
“It has been a delight to mark the successes of our colleagues and I look forward to celebrating many more of them in the months and years ahead.”