John Bickerton (pictured) has been appointed Group Engineering Director of Wellglade, including its subsidiary Trentbarton. He will join from Arriva UK Bus and take up the newly created role in January 2023.
Mr Bickerton will be responsible for around 100 engineers and apprentices and over 400 buses at six depots. His appointment represents a return to the East Midlands for the Derbyshire native and follows time spent with Reading Buses, East West Rail and First UK Bus.
The position of Group Engineering Director has been created by Wellglade as part of a reorganisation ahead of the retirement of Trentbarton and Kinchbus Managing Director Jeff Counsell in February 2023. That process will see current Trentbarton Group Commercial Director Tom Morgan step up to become Managing Director (Buses) for Wellglade.
Speaking about the appointment of Mr Bickerton, Wellglade Chairman Brian King says: “John has a first class track record in public transport engineering and we are very pleased that he will be joining us.
“He impressed us with his passion for public transport that is both environmentally and commercially sustainable, and that chimes with our desire to provide services that are clean, green and attractive to our customers.”
Adds Mr Bickerton: “I am very much looking forward to joining Wellglade. The group is an admired name in the industry for its focus on customer service, high standards and quality fleet presentation. I travelled on the group’s buses when I went to school, so it is exciting to resume the journey now in my career in public transport.
“The next decade is going to be extremely interesting for bus operators as the nation moves towards a zero-carbon future. We already carry more people per tailpipe than any other sector, and buses will be a big part of decarbonisation, including at Wellglade.”
