Birmingham bus man ranks amongst UK's top transport talents

A Birmingham bus manager has ranked as one of Britain’s top upcoming transport talents in a list by influential ‘New Transit’ magazine.

31 year old Simon Mathieson, who operates National Express West Midland’s largest bus depot, was named as one of the top '40 under 40’ in a list published this month. Simon, who studied Transport Management at Aston University, currently oversees National Express’ Birmingham Central and Bordesley bus depots which employs over 800 staff and operates across Birmingham, Sandwell, Dudley and Coventry.

Prior to joining National Express, Simon managed a bus operation in Oxford but experienced life at the sharp end by driving buses in the West Midlands while he was a student. He still regularly gets behind the wheel to understand the challenges faced by bus drivers. Simon commented: "My career path has seen me progress from graduate trainee to Area Manager in six years. There are few industries or jobs that offer this rapid rise in responsibility and I’m constantly looking for new opportunities to strengthen Birmingham’s bus network. When I spotted the '40 under 40' feature I was keen to see who’d made the list "I had no idea I was in there. It was a great honour to be recognised for my work in the industry and I’m looking forward to the challenges which are ahead of me and my team."

Neil Barker, Managing Director National Express bus, said: "Transport is a challenging industry and managers are constantly under the spotlight from employees, passengers, stakeholders and the media. To successfully manage a complex bus operation at the age of 31 takes exceptional determination and commitment and we believe Simon has a very promising career within transport."

Published 26th July 2010