Managing Director of Stagecoach South Edward Hodgson is to take up a new post with the operator, as Account Director for inter-city coach services.
Edward will take up the role on 1 October. Gordon Frost, Operations Director at Stagecoach South, has been appointed Interim Managing Director for Stagecoach South while a full recruitment process for the position gets underway.
The new role will see Edward managing Stagecoach’s operational and commercial relationship with the Scottish Citylink joint venture with ComfortDelGro, in which Stagecoach holds a 37.5% share.
It marks a return to the coach sector for Edward, after he spent time as Managing Director of the operator’s Megabus inter-city coach business for Europe prior to leading bus operations in the South of England. He was also Director of the Megabus North America business in the late 2000s, and took on the role of Managing Director of Scottish Citylink in 2014.
He will work with key stakeholders, such as the coach industry and local authorities, to “help set the future transport agenda”.
Says Edward: “I’m delighted to be taking up this new role at what is an exciting time for inter-city coach services in the UK as the country looks for high-quality, low-cost alternatives to the car for longer distance trips.
“Many of Stagecoach’s operating companies across the UK provide contracted services in this market and I’m looking forward to working again with the Scottish Citylink team.
“I’d also like to thank everyone at Stagecoach South, as well as our transport partners in the region, for their support during my time as Managing Director.”
Carla Stockton-Jones, Managing Director UK for Stagecoach, adds: “We’re delighted that we will be able to benefit from Edward’s extensive experience of the inter-city coach market in this new role, helping ensure we are the coach supplier of choice for our contract partners.”