First appoints new Chief Growth Officer
First Bus has appointed Gary Hitchmough as its new Chief Growth Officer (CGO), with Executive responsibility for delivering the growth elements of the business strategy.
Gary will oversee franchise bids with local authorities, including the current procurement of Tranche 3 of the Transport for Greater Manchester franchising process. He will also help secure major commercial contracts and grow key commercial services through a business development function and a portfolio of First Bus businesses, including First Travel Solutions, Specialist Passenger Solutions and Aircoach.
Gary started his career in transport with National Express Group before moving to KPMG Transport Advisory. He has also successfully led growth for outsourced service providers Sodexo, ISS and Serco in the UK, Middle East and Australia.
“We have a great foundation to build on, as we seek to strengthen the relationships and acquire the new customers and clients we need to fulfil our growth ambitions” – Gary Hitchmough, Chief Growth Officer (CGO)
Gary said: “I’m really excited to have joined First Bus to accelerate our next stage of growth and build on the transformation that has successfully been delivered in recent years.
“First Bus is a very different business now and I’ve been hugely impressed by how capable our people are, and how focused they are on delivering for our teams, communities, and stakeholders.
“We have a great foundation to build on, as we seek to strengthen the relationships and acquire the new customers and clients we need to fulfil our growth ambitions.”
Janette Bell, Managing Director for First Bus, said: “In the last year alone, we’ve seen momentum in our growth across the UK and Ireland, with new B2B customers including East Midlands Airport, Two Sisters Food Group and acquisitions like Airporter and Ensignbus.
“Gary has a very capable team of experienced leaders to help him deliver our goals in this area. I look forward to them steering us to further success, as we continue to grow the business in the right areas for our communities, stakeholders, and shareholders.”