Transdez Blazefield has strengthened its leadership team with four appointments across its operations in the North of England.
The appointments are:
- Lucy Harris, promoted to Transdev Central Stories Supervisor
- Kat Ayre joins Yorkshire Coastliner as Operations Manager
- Victoria Giannini joins as Tourism Manager at Citysightseeing York
- Dawn Thompson-Cullen returns to Harrogate Bus Company as Operations Supervisor.
Lucy joined Transdev as an office administrator before moving into engineering stores, where she has spent the past three years as store keeper.
In her new role she will oversee the Central Stores network, including storekeeping and van-driving teams across Lancashire and Yorkshire.
“I’m stepping into a role where I’m balancing people, stock, and processes all at once, but it’s very rewarding to see the end result, which is getting our buses back onto the road,” she says. “I have a great team around me – without them I would be lost. I am able to support the Storekeepers and engineering staff across the patch more than ever, and I like having that responsibility.
“I really care about my work, and I think this new role shows that women can do this kind of job and especially for young women, if you work hard enough, it shows and pays off.”
Kat joins Yorkshire Coastliner with almost 22 years’ experience in the bus sector, having begun as a driver before progressing through duty manager and service delivery manager roles.
Based principally in York, she will oversee the delivery of Coastliner services, its vehicle fleet and more than 170 colleagues across York, Malton and Idle.
“There’s a focus on people here, and I really appreciate that,” Kat says. “People are the main part of our business; we need colleagues to work together in a collaborative and positive environment, so that we can provide the best service possible to customers. Personally, I want to really improve our operational efficiency. It’s a demanding network here at Yorkshire Coastliner, and our buses travel a lot of miles – but it’s also such a fabulous place to work. There’s nowhere quite like Yorkshire.”
Victoria arrives at City Sightseeing York from a revenue management role at a regional theme park. She will lead the open-top sightseeing operation in York city centre, with responsibility for ticket sales, local partnerships and promotion of the service to visitors.
“The goal for the next few years is to strengthen the incredible foothold we have here in Yorkshire and develop this team to reach new heights,” she says. “York is such a beautiful place, full of history and culture, and I can’t wait to help show what it has to offer to visitors from around the world.”
Last but not least, Dawn returns to Harrogate Bus Company having first worked there as a driver in 2008 and where she made company history as its first female relief duty manager and first female duty manager. She joins Harrogate from sister operation Flyer in Idle and will now co-lead the former’s operations network, supporting over 100 drivers.
“I jumped at the opportunity to step up and be the supervisor for over 100 drivers now in Harrogate,” comments Dawn. “People don’t realise how busy you are, all the time – this job never stops, even off the clock. You’ve got to have a certain kind of drive to be successful, and that’s actually what I’m enjoying the most.
“I never thought that I’d be doing this role, especially at the age of 60. But I’m loving the constant challenge, I’m always learning, learning, learning – I’m focused on thinking big picture and driving Harrogate forward.”
Transdev Head of People Claire Swann says the appointments reflect a commitment to bringing in new talent while also developing people from within.
“We’re delighted to welcome Kat and Victoria to our management team, while also seeing Dawn and Lucy step into more senior roles within the business,” she says. “While the transport industry has traditionally been male dominated, it’s important that we continue to recognise and support the contributions of a diverse workforce. By combining fresh perspectives with the experience of our existing teams, we are strengthening our leadership and the service we provide to the communities we operate in.”
