– UK, Aberdeen – FirstGroup plc (LON: FGP) today announced the appointment of Graham Sutherland to its Board of Directors as CEO effective from 16 May 2022.
“I am delighted to welcome Graham to FirstGroup. He has a strong track record in the delivery of critical services and in creating value for shareholders in rapidly evolving regulatory and technological environments. Graham joins at an exciting and important time for FirstGroup which is now a focused and resilient business with a strong platform from which to develop. I am confident that Graham is ideally suited to take the Group forward and I look forward to working with him to maximise the widespread opportunities that exist for growth and sustainable value creation.” commented Executive Chairman, David Martin.
About Graham Sutherland
Graham Sutherland has an established record in strategic development, as well as in delivering enhanced financial and operational performance and engaging a diverse range of stakeholders.
Graham Sutherland has held several senior leadership positions in organizations that provide critical services to consumer, business, and public sector customers across the UK. He was CEO of KCOM Group plc, an LSE-listed telecommunications company, from 2018 until its sale to a Macquarie-managed infrastructure fund. Before this, Graham held several senior executive roles within BT Group PLC for over twelve years. These included as CEO of the BT Business and Public Sector division, where he was responsible for profitable growth and led the integration of EE’s Business unit, creating a division with £4.6bn in annual revenues and 13,000 employees. Graham was also CEO of BT Ireland where he was responsible for all consumer, business, and network activities. Before that, he was CEO of NTL Ireland and has also held senior financial roles including at Bombardier. He is a non-executive director of Savvi, one of Ireland’s largest credit unions.
Graham Sutherland said: “It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to lead FirstGroup. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to drive the Group forward and deliver the vital services that are key to achieving society’s sustainability and economic goals. With its prime positions in bus and rail, strong balance sheet, and clear purpose, FirstGroup has many opportunities ahead and I look forward to helping shape its exciting future.”
About FirstGroup
FirstGroup plc is a leading private-sector provider of public transport services. With £4.3bn in revenue and around 30,000 employees, our UK divisions transported nearly 700,000 passengers a day in the 52 weeks to 27 March 2021. First Bus is the second-largest regional bus operator in the UK, serving two-thirds of the UK’s 15 largest conurbations with a fleet of c.5,000 buses. First Rail is the UK’s largest rail operator, with many years of experience running long-distance, commuter, regional, and sleeper rail services. We operate a fleet of c.3,750 rail vehicles through four management fee-based train operating companies (Avanti, GWR, SWR, TPE) and two open access routes (Hull Trains and Lumo, our new East Coast service which launched in October 2021). We create solutions that reduce complexity, making travel smoother and life easier. Our businesses are at the heart of our communities and the essential services we provide are critical to delivering wider economic, social, and environmental goals. We are formally committed to operating a zero-emission First Bus fleet by 2035 and to cease purchasing further diesel buses after 2022, and First Rail will help support the UK Government’s goal to remove all diesel-only trains from service by 2040. FirstGroup was recently named as one of the world’s cleanest 200 public companies for the third consecutive year by sustainable business media group Corporate Knights in partnership with US not-for-profit organization, As You Sow.
For more information: https://www.firstgroupplc.com/
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