Stagecoach appoints Account Director for UK inter-city coach operations
- Edward Hodgson, currently Stagecoach South MD, to take up new role from 1 October
- Previous management experience with megabus.com in Europe and North America
- Gordon Frost appointed Interim Managing Director for Stagecoach South
Stagecoach announced today that it has appointed Edward Hodgson to the new post of Account Director for inter-city coach services.
Edward, who is currently Managing Director of Stagecoach South, will take up the role on 1 October.
He will manage Stagecoach’s commercial and operational relationship with Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd (SCCL), in which it has a 37.5% share. The remainder of the business is owned by international transport group ComfortDelGro.
The joint venture is responsible for the Scottish Citylink express coach network, as well as megabus.com branded services in Scotland, England and Wales, and Falcon South-West.
A number of Stagecoach regional operating companies provide contracted coach services to SCCL throughout the UK.
As part of his role, Edward will work with key stakeholders, including the coach industry and local authorities, to help set the future transport agenda.
Edward has been with Stagecoach for over 30 years, joining the company in 1988. He has been Managing Director of Stagecoach South since 2016, responsible for a team of around 1,200 people and a fleet of nearly 500 buses.
Before leading Stagecoach’s bus operation in the South of England, Edward was Managing Director of the company’s megabus.com inter-city coach business for Europe. He also previously spent three years in the United States as Director of the megabus.com North America business in the late 2000s.
He returned to the UK in 2011 after being appointed Managing Director of Stagecoach West Scotland and in 2014 also took on the role of Managing Director of Scottish Citylink, Stagecoach’s joint venture coach business in Scotland with ComfortDelGro.
Edward said: “I’m delighted to be taking up this new role at what is an exciting time for inter-city coach services in the UK as the country looks for high-quality, low-cost alternatives to the car for longer distance trips.
“Many of Stagecoach’s operating companies across the UK provide contracted services in this market and I’m looking forward to working again with the Scottish Citylink team.
“I’d also like to thank everyone at Stagecoach South, as well as our transport partners in the region, for their support during my time as Managing Director.”
Carla Stockton-Jones, Managing Director UK for Stagecoach, said: “We’re delighted that we will be able to benefit from Edward’s extensive experience of the inter-city coach market in this new role, helping ensure we are the coach supplier of choice for our contract partners.”
Gordon Frost, currently Operations Director at Stagecoach South, has been appointed Interim Managing Director for Stagecoach South while a full recruitment process for the position gets underway.
ENDS