An experienced duty manager from Newcastle has now taken a set up the career ladder after being appointed as Assistant Operations Manager for local bus operator Stagecoach North East at its Hartlepool depot.
Shaun Anderson, 33, from Gosforth, will now oversee the day-to-day running of the regional operations, which includes looking after a fleet of 31 buses and a team of over 50 operations staff.
He joins the team at Hartlepool following seven years as a relief duty manager at Stagecoach North East’s Slatyford bus depot, where he gained a wealth of experience in traffic management, supporting the control room and covering the role of Senior Duty Manager as and when required. Prior to this role, Shaun was a bus driver for almost three years where he first developed his passion for working in public transport.
Keen on developing his skills and expertise, Shaun joined Stagecoach’s Staff Development Programme in October 2017 and was seconded to Rawmarsh depot in South Yorkshire for a placement in operations, where he worked closely with Operations Management to learn about budgets, staff management, recruitment and health and safety.
Shaun then developed his knowledge in engineering, both at Rawmarsh and Sunderland depots, which enabled him to understand the processes involved in maintaining the fleet and keeping the vehicles on the road, and gaining hands on experience in cleaning, fuelling, servicing and managing the Engineering Department.
Shaun was most recently based at Stagecoach North East’s Walkergate depot in Newcastle on the second phase of his operations placement where he was acting Senior Duty Manager.
Here Shaun was able to put his skills to the test in real time while still under the tutelage of the Operations Management team, and also enjoyed learning about the new Stagecoach Bus Driver Apprentice Scheme, as well as managing attendance and overseeing the local Megabus operations, part of the Stagecoach Group.
Taking up his new position at Hartlepool, Shaun’s responsibilities will include assessing the operations on a daily basis, staff recruitment and training, service quality and reliability, customer contact and feedback, health and safety, as well as liaison with engineering.
Shaun is excited about the promotion and very much looking forward to becoming settled in his new role. He said: “I enjoy the daily challenges as no two days are the same. Stagecoach North East has also provided excellent training courses and support when needed. This is a great opportunity for me, stepping up to the role of assistant operations manager and I am looking forward to the challenge of working with a new team and a new depot, and hope to have many successful years.
“I am passionate about customer service and to delivering the best possible service to our passengers, and my experiences across all sides of the business will be beneficial to this role. I learned a great deal from my experience with the staff development programme and I am looking forward to putting this learning into practice.”
Colin Newbury, Operations Director, Stagecoach North East, said: “I would like to congratulate Shaun on his appointment; he has worked very hard and demonstrated his enthusiasm and commitment to the company over the years. He will be an asset to the team in Hartlepool, bringing his experience and expertise to the depot and we wish him all the best for the future.”
