Louise Cheeseman ‘deeply honoured’ to receive OBE
Louise Cheeseman, founder and Chair of Women in Bus and Coach and a Non-Executive Director at Go-Ahead, has been awarded an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025.
The award was made in recognition of Louise’s services to the transport industry and diversity.
Louise launched Women in Bus and Coach in 2023, during its short history it has become a collaborative and inclusive movement that now spans the UK, supporting hundreds of individuals and organisations. Louise’s work has empowered women to enter, stay, and thrive in transport careers and has encouraged operators to create more welcoming and representative workplaces.
As well as Non-Executive Director at Go-Ahead, Louise serves also as Non-Executive Director at Transport for Wales, Chair of Trustees for Rebuilding Futures Alliance and Chair of WiBC. Louise has held senior positions across both the public and private sectors, including as Managing Director for Hull Trains and Director of Bus at Transport for London, where she was responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the capital’s bus services including the delivery of the zero-carbon strategy.
Louise said: “I’m deeply honoured to receive this award. It represents the incredible work being done across the transport sector to build a more inclusive and diverse future. I want to thank the Women in Bus and Coach board, our amazing team, the regional groups, and every single person who has supported the organisation from day one. This recognition belongs to all of us—and I hope it inspires even more people to join us in shaping a fairer, more representative industry.
“On behalf of the Women in Bus and Coach board, regional groups and team, we are absolutely thrilled and incredibly proud that our chair and founder Louise is receiving this very well-deserved national honour,” said Women in Bus and Coach Director Stephen Lynn.
“This award recognises not just Louise’s personal achievement, but the power of collective action to change an industry for the better. It’s a powerful moment for our whole movement and a sign of how far we’ve come.”
Miguel Parras, Group CEO of Go-Ahead said: “We’re delighted that Louise has received this recognition for the incredible impact she has made on our industry. We’re very fortunate to have Louise on our Board and are very grateful for her contribution towards our growth strategy, achieving our ambitious decarbonisation goals and reaching our equality targets.”