Lothian welcomes new MD

Lothian welcomes Sarah Boyd as its new Managing Director.

Sarah Boyd

Sarah moves on from her role as Lothian’s Operations Director to replace former Managing Director, Nigel Serafini, who retired from the business earlier this month after 21 years of service.

Sarah’s appointment as Managing Director represents a shift in direction for the business, keen to put the struggles of the pandemic behind it and continue in its efforts to contribute to a more sustainable, greener Edinburgh.

As the first female Managing Director of Lothian, Sarah hopes to promote a fair, people-focused and inclusive workplace culture across the business. The transport industry is ingrained in Sarah. Having studied a BSc in Mathematics and Finance at Heriot Watt University, she joined Stagecoach’s graduate scheme in 2002 and undertook various positions within the group before joining Lothian in 2013 as Head of Operations, stepping up to take on the role of Operations Director in 2017.

Sarah Boyd, Managing Director Lothian, said: “I am delighted to take on the role of Lothian’s Managing Director. I would like to thank Nigel Serafini for his efforts over the last two and a half years as Lothian navigated the challenges brought about as the result of the global pandemic.

“I am proud to be in a position to lead this award-winning business, and my key objective is to steer the company into economic stability so that we can continue to enhance Lothian’s reputation as an industry leader. We fully support the Scottish Government’s targets for net zero emissions by 2045 and are committed to embracing technology to meet those goals.

“We have an incredible team of colleagues across our business who go above and beyond every day to deliver for our customers. Throughout my tenure, I am committed to giving those colleagues a platform to showcase their ability and continuously improve and develop, highlighting Lothian as a great place to work, and a great place to develop a career.”

Jim McFarlane, Chair for Lothian, said: “I am delighted to welcome Sarah Boyd in her new role as Lothian’s Managing Director.

“With a strong record as Lothian’s Operations Director, I’m sure she will be at the forefront of Lothian’s resurgence as the industry leader we know it to be. Sarah’s appointment as our first-ever female Managing Director promotes our key values of inclusivity and represents a fresh, vibrant new era at Lothian.

“I must also thank Nigel Serafini for his contribution and dedication to Lothian over the last 21 years, and wish him well in his retirement. Throughout his time at Lothian, Nigel oversaw the significant geographical expansion of our services and ticketing innovations, including the introduction of our operations in the east and west, and the roll-out of capped contactless payments.

“Having navigated the challenges of the global pandemic, Lothian is now on a strong path for recovery and we look forward to a bright future under Sarah’s stewardship.”

Cllr Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “Welcome to Sarah Boyd as Lothian’s new Managing Director. It’s clear that she has the knowledge and

enthusiasm to lead Lothian’s continued recovery from the Covid pandemic, as well as championing sustainability across the company, which is essential for the city’s net zero goals. Reliable and efficient public transport is at the heart of Edinburgh’s economic and transport strategy, so I look forward to working with Sarah in her new role.

“As Lothian’s first-ever female Managing Director, I’m confident Sarah will bring a new perspective to the running of our award-winning bus operator, and her appointment highlights Lothian’s commitment to inclusivity and also nurturing talent from within the company.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Nigel Serafini for his years of service, including his efforts to guide the business through the global pandemic. Despite the challenges he faced, he worked with his staff to ensure Lothian has come out of the pandemic with one of the cleanest bus fleets in the UK, and still offers customers better value than just about any other provider.”

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