Trentbarton Group Commercial Director, Tom Morgan, has taken on his new role as Managing Director for all bus operators within the company’s parent firm, Wellglade.
It follows the retirement of Jeff Counsell, who served as the Managing Director for Trentbarton and Kinchbus for almost 50 years. The Wellglade bus operators also include Midland General, Notts and Derby and TM Travel.
Tom, who joined Wellglade in 2009 to work on the Nottingham Tramlink project and has subsequently held various roles across the company, including Assistant Operations Manager for Derby and General Manager at Kinchbus, before taking on directorial roles across operations and commercial, expresses his excitement about the new position, saying: “It’s an honour to lead our wonderful teams, fronted by our friendly local drivers. Working across the group benefits all the operators and enables us to take advantage of closer co-operation.
“There is more and more crossover between fully commercial and supported services, and the group structure now means we are best placed to take advantage of all new opportunities regardless of their type.”
Tom emphasises his commitment to Trentbarton and Kinchbus, stating that he will continue to focus on these operators, as well as support the managers who run all Wellglade’s bus companies. He encourages all teams to be empowered to think of themselves as their own business that they can develop and improve, enhancing their key role within the communities they serve.
Tom acknowledges that the biggest challenge in the industry is driving back patronage, and he plans to build on strong relationships with local authorities to overcome the obstacle of congestion.
“Less congestions means quicker journeys, which means we can boost timetables, invest in the fleet and retain value for money fares,” he states.
He also expresses the company’s commitment to exploring cleaner transport options, including the potential for battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell-electric buses.
Brian King, Wellglade’s Chairman, wished Tom well in his new position, saying: “Tom has a wide experience of the bus companies in our group, having held various positions over the last few years from operating depots to heading up our commercial and marketing functions.”
Brian adds that Tom’s appointment, alongside the recent arrival of John Bickerton as Group Engineering Director, means that the company is now “better positioned to create synergies and seize opportunities.”
