Pointless signs - Barrow, on Tuesday...

Alas Smith now Roams!

So farewell Graham Smith, the man who acted as midwife to the mighty Rail Delivery Group!

Graham steps down as Director General of RDG today, after two and a half years in the job and prior to that spending a year supporting the Rail Value for Money study.

Not one to go quietly into the night Graham's renewed focus will be on the Railway Benefit Fund, where he will set up a central fund-raising group concentrating on encouraging corporate donations and contributions from the major players in the industry.

Owner Groups and suppliers can expect knocks on the door where Graham will deliver a pointed message encouraging those who profit from the industry to put something back for those employees that have fallen on hard times.

And quite right too!

With bags of experience Eye suspects that a number of people will also be knocking at the door of Albany Smith Management.

However, Graham assures Eye that he will not be taking commissions, although: "if somebody wants me to help them on other things and it's something that interests me I'll consider it".

Quite so, you can't keep a good consultant down...

DOR untainted by state ownership - Official

Exciting news of rebellion from deep within the state owned monolith that is East Coast!

According to Peter Williams, East Coast commercial director, in an interview in Management Today:

‘A lot of people will say East Coast is a model for how public sector-run companies can be successful,’ he told MT.

‘Personally, it’s quite funny sitting here watching conversations take place about what is the right thing to do. But if you look at the individuals behind DOR’s success, the management team are all from the private sector.'

Quite so.

East Coast's success is, therefore, all the more impressive with so little nationalised experience amongst DOR's 'management team':
 
Michael Holden, Chief Executive Officer, & Non-executive Chairman of East Coast Main Line Company Limited
Michael Holden has extensive experience in managing railways and railway projects within the UK and Europe. He started his early career with British Rail as a traffic student in 1974...

Doug Sutherland, Chairman
Doug Sutherland is a chartered management accountant... In 1995 he moved to the public sector, initially as managing director finance for North of Scotland Water and then managing director finance and commercial for the Strategic Rail Authority... .
 
Andy Cope, Non-executive director
Andy Cope is a Chartered Engineer who started work as an apprentice with the Birmingham Division of British Rail in 1972...

David Walker, Finance Director
David Walker is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants, who started his career with the National Coal Board... 

Rob Mason, Non-executive director
Robert Mason has over 30 years’ experience in the rail industry... In the run up to privatisation, Rob was the British Rail Director of Privatisation Studies...

Each and every one of them unsullied by public sector taint!

So on which precise date does Private-Sector-Year-Zero begin at DOR?