Stagecoach appoints new Managing Director for South West

Stagecoach has announced that it has appointed Peter Knight to manage its bus operations in the south-west. Peter, who is currently Managing Director of Stagecoach Bluebird running bus and coach services across the north-east of Scotland, will take over as Managing Director of Stagecoach South West in December.

A key part of Peter’s role will be working with local stakeholders across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. He will also be responsible for a team of around 1,000 employees and over 300 vital express and local bus services connecting communities across the south-west.

Peter joined Stagecoach in 2010 as a graduate management trainee in Chesterfield, before quickly progressing through the company with time spent working across the country in a variety of operational management roles in Teesside, Warwickshire and Merseyside. He then worked at Stagecoach’s megabus business in Italy, before moving to Operations Director for Scottish Citylink, Stagecoach’s joint venture business in Scotland with ComfortDelGro. He has been Managing Director of Stagecoach Bluebird since 2019.

Peter was named winner of the ‘Young Industry Professional’ award in the UK Coach Awards in 2018 and has delivered significant improvements in his three years at Stagecoach Bluebird, including the roll out of a new fleet of electric buses in Aberdeen.  He will succeed Mike Watson, who has led the business for the past three years, and confirmed earlier this year his plans to stand down.

Peter said: “I’m really excited to be taking up the role as Managing Director of Stagecoach South West. I’m looking forward to getting out and about and meeting our drivers and customers, as well as key stakeholders such as Devon County Council, and continuing our important work to re-build from some of the challenges we have faced coming out of the pandemic.

“I believe there are some great opportunities ahead as we look to move more people out of their cars and onto public transport, and I am determined to deliver a good and reliable bus service for our communities in the south-west.”

Rupert Cox, Regional Director South for Stagecoach, said: “We’re pleased that our customers, stakeholders and employees in the south-west will be able to benefit from Peter’s extensive experience of running bus and coach services across the country and more widely in Europe.

“I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Mike Watson for his continued efforts over the past three years leading the south-west team and more widely across Stagecoach over the past 11 years. We wish him all the best for the future.”

Plans are underway to recruit a new Managing Director for Stagecoach Bluebird and a separate announcement will be made on that in due course.