09.10.15
Transport for the North appoints David Brown as first chief executive
David Brown, the chief executive of Merseytravel, has been given the top job at Transport for the North (TfN) and is set to start within the next few weeks.
Prior to his work in Merseytravel, Brown headed up South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and led the establishment of Rail North – making his portfolio “perfect” to carry on TfN’s work in the north.
He said: “I’m delighted to be taking up this new role within TfN at a really exciting time for transport across the region and beyond. TfN will be at the forefront of delivering an integrated and holistic approach to transport in the north and I relish the opportunity to help shape and drive that forward.”
Brown will be taking on a lead role in the development of the “future blueprint” for TfN as its chief executive, ahead of plans to develop the organisation into a statutory body by 2017.
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council and interim chair of TfN, said the Merseyrail chief’s experience “speaks for itself” and believes he will play a “key role in bringing together authorities across the north of England and allow the north to speak with a single voice on the big decisions to benefit the region as a whole.”
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin also welcomed Brown, whose “wealth of experience” in the sector makes him “perfectly placed to bring momentum to this vital new organisation”.
The appointment comes as the body works towards publishing its updated strategy for transform the northern economy through connectivity between city regions in March 2016. A report will be published in the autumn to detail how this is progressing.
The process to appoint an independent chair before the end of the year is also “underway”.