Business Development Manager at Reading Buses, Gemma Redson is the perfect example of how a driver can progress in the bus industry
How did your career in the industry begin?
In 2015 I wanted a different sort of challenge. One of my friends was a bus driver – she said it’s such a great job, and Reading Buses is a great company to work for. So I became a bus driver, and in December 2017 the position became available for Greenline Mobilisation Manager. It seemed like a really good next step for me. And because it was a six-month secondment, it was a way of me not completely letting go of bus driving. That job developed into Business Development Manager, and I absolutely love it.
What’s a typical working day for you?
I’m office-based a lot of the time. I work with the commercial department, with our marketing department, and I have a lot of site visits as well – and I think that’s really important because we do so much work with third parties, whether it’s a combination ticket or a new partnership that I might be looking to set up. I go into London a lot because we do a lot of work with Greenline, and Slough because we have a depot there – I travel around a lot.
What part of the job do you enjoy most?
I like dealing with people, that was always my main thing – it’s why I became a bus driver in the first place. And my role now is about putting the customer first and making things as easy as possible for them, and new opportunities. Being the main point of contact for so many partnerships is the best way of working with as many different people as possible.
What are the most challenging aspects of the job?
It’s keeping the entire process in mind while working on a project. I said about putting the customer first, but making sure that’s not to the detriment of drivers or our operations team or our commercial team – it’s trying to keep everyone in mind, and smoothing it out as much as possible.
What do you think the industry can do to attract more women?
Reading Buses is so great at championing women, and that’s one of the reasons I have been able to progress how I have. My friend, the female bus driver who encouraged me into the industry, has progressed within the company as well. Reading Buses and other companies actively recruit women in driving and engineering roles. We enter women’s awards, our uniform is created with women in mind, and we shout about women on social media and in press releases.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
I really enjoy the variety of my job, and the opportunity to learn new skills. Just the other week I got to go on a scheduling course; I feel like I’m learning something new every day.
Shouting about successes is something that’s quite unnatural to me, but it’s really encouraged here. And I don’t have that long history in the bus industry that other people do, but the industry is evolving and Reading Buses is great at listening to those voices that perhaps don’t have the bias of ‘oh this doesn’t work’.
So I absolutely see my future within Reading Buses – what role that is I don’t know, because I like a challenge, and if there’s an opportunity in front of me that I want, I’ll take it.
