Alex Chutter has been named Area Director of Pulhams Coaches by its owner Oxford Bus Group, a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group.
Mr Chutter joins the Bourton-on-the-Water business, which became part of Go-Ahead in mid-2023, from Brighton and Hove Buses and Metrobus, where he was formerly Operations Director. Before that, he was with Go South Coast (GSC), having joined as a graduate trainee in 2011.
Oxford Bus Group notes that Mr Chutter brings experience of business integration from both of his previous employers, most recently via the purchase of Southdown Buses by Brighton and Hove Buses. He was with GSC when it bought the former municipal Thamesdown Transport operation in Swindon, a business for which he became responsible prior to a move along the south coast.
Also during his tenure with GSC, Mr Chutter led its coaching business, and then did similar in Brighton with the Spirit of Sussex coach operation. In Pulhams, he takes on an undertaking that is a member of the prestigious Guild of British Coach Operators.
Oxford Bus Group Managing Director Luke Marion has described Mr Chutter’s arrival in the Cotswolds as “a significant appointment,” and the immediate parent company notes that it is expected to lead Pulhams’ “strategic growth.”
Key to that approach is an enhanced private hire business, adds Mr Marion. Oxford Bus Group also continues to work with local authorities to improve bus services, an area where Pulhams has a significant presence.
Speaking about his appointment, Mr Chutter says: “Pulhams Coaches is a fantastic business, and I am pleased to have joined such a strong team of colleagues who are committed to delivering excellence in every department daily.
“I am looking forward to helping to deliver Oxford Bus Group’s overall strategic growth plans, while preserving the Pulhams business’s iconic brand heritage.
“We have so many exciting plans including expanding local bus services, further developing our coaching operations, and introducing new and zero-emission vehicles as well as developing our tourism operations across the Cotswolds.
“I am grateful for the warm welcome and support I have received from across the group, and I look forward to working together with my new colleagues for the benefit of customers, the communities we serve, and colleagues.”
