UK: Claire Mann has been appointed as the next Managing Director of South Western Railway, and will take up the post in early 2021.
Mark Hopwood, currently Interim Managing Director of SWR, will return to his former role as Managing Director of Great Western Railway on January 4 2021. The role of SWR Managing Director will be covered by Chief Operating Officer Mike Houghton from January 4 2021 until Mann joins.
Mann has more than two decades of experience in the transport sector. She began her career as a Customer Service Assistant at Heathrow Express, then became a driver. Subsequent senior leadership roles have included Director for Docklands Light Railway at Transport for London; Operations & Safety Director at Arriva Trains Wales; General Manager East at First Great Western; and Customer Service Director at London Overground. Most recently, she was Director of Bus Operations at TfL.
Matthew Golton, who has led GWR since January, will be seconded to First Rail in a new interim role as Business Development Director, where he will focus on the development of the future rail businesses and contractual arrangements.
Following completion of this interim assignment he is expected to return to GWR, and he will remain a statutory director of First Greater Western Ltd.
