First Chair of GBR named as Sir John Kingman

[vuzzeho]

RAIL is reporting that the first Chair of GBR will be Sir John Kingman, former Chair of Barclays UK, Legal and General, and Tesco Personal Finance.

Kingman, whose previous roles include Chair of Barclays UK, Legal and General and Tesco Personal Finance, will immediately start his duties of shaping the design of GBR which is due to be established next year.

Article here (free, but you need to make a RAIL account first): https://www.railmagazine.com/news/sir-john-kingman-named-as-first-great-british-railways-chair

It's nice seeing the building blocks come into place regarding GBR before it starts to exist and the big reforms come, but I'm not too crazy about this appointment, though I suppose I shouldn't be so quick to come to a judgement before he's even had a chance to do anything.

 

[Goldfish62]

RAIL is reporting that the first Chair of GBR will be Sir John Kingman, former Chair of Barclays UK, Legal and General, and Tesco Personal Finance.



Article here (free, but you need to make a RAIL account first): https://www.railmagazine.com/news/sir-john-kingman-named-as-first-great-british-railways-chair

It's nice seeing the building blocks come into place regarding GBR before it starts to exist and the big reforms come, but I'm not too crazy about this appointment, though I suppose I shouldn't be so quick to come to a judgement before he's even had a chance to do anything.

Prior to those roles listed he worked in the Treasury, which could be a good or bad thing. It all depends on how arms-length he's really allowed to be.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

All his experience is finance. I will give him a chance but…….

 

[Bletchleyite]

All his experience is finance. I will give him a chance but…….

It certainly gives you the feeling that cost-cutting, not growth, is the name of the game...

 

[GRALISTAIR]

It certainly gives you the feeling that cost-cutting, not growth, is the name of the game...

That was definitely my initial thought and reaction.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The Chair position of a corporation generally looks outward and upward.

The post of CEO or equivalent is the key one to look inwards and forwards, and which needs to understand the railway in great detail.

You only have to look at the equivalent past appointments at Network Rail to see the difference.

Kingman knows all about how government, and particularly the Treasury, works which will be invaluable in defending rail's budget.

 

[trentside]

I’d definitely agree I’m disappointed to see it isn’t someone with a railway background, however I’d be more worried if it was a finance person appointed as CEO or equivalent.

 

[AlterEgo]

The chair should be someone relatively distant, but having a finance guy in there doesn't fill me with confidence.

 

[WilloughbyGC]

The chair should be someone relatively distant, but having a finance guy in there doesn't fill me with confidence.

Kingman is widely trusted by the Treasury. His appointment will be partly to convince them that GBR won't be a money pit. On balance a good thing

 

[AlterEgo]

Kingman is widely trusted by the Treasury. His appointment will be partly to convince them that GBR won't be a money pit. On balance a good thing

Understood, although it does indicate to me that the main concern is about controlling costs. That's fine, but I hope it is not the only concern HMG has.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Understood, although it does indicate to me that the main concern is about controlling costs. That's fine, but I hope it is not the only concern HMG has.

In the context of needing to increase defence spending substantially it probably is, to be fair, and if it can be done by cost control rather than closures that's probably better..not what I'd ideally want though.

 

[wokspotter]

The chair should be someone relatively distant, but having a finance guy in there doesn't fill me with confidence.

Doesn't the fact that he has a title fill you with confidence?

 

[sh24]

Far better to have someone who understands how the Treasury works than an outsider.

 

[KNN]

He was apparently chair of a body called "UK Research and Innovation" which seems positive. I know nothing about him, but I don't infer a negative from his lack of direct rail experience, everyone else in the industry has been around for decades so it's not that big of a deal.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

DfT release

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sir-john-kingman-appointed-as-great-british-railways-chair

Sir John will begin his duties as Chair immediately and will play a critical role in shaping the design of the new organisation, continuing the integration of train and track operations and driving industry readiness for transition, as the Railways Bill continues its passage through Parliament.

Once GBR is formally established, Sir John will lead the third biggest public sector organisation in Britain. As Chair, he will work closely with the rail industry and devolved transport bodies with a relentless focus on improving passenger experience and improving services.

Sir John brings a wealth of experience forged in distinguished careers in both government and the private sector. His experience in leadership of national, customer-focused businesses, such as the Chair of Barclays UK PLC, and as the former Chair of Legal and General Group PLC and Tesco Personal Finance, will be invaluable to improving the experience of passengers and management of the network as GBR is established.

Sir John has also served as Second Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury, where he played a central role in the UK government’s response to the financial crisis, including the nationalisation of Northern Rock and negotiated on Greater Manchester’s flagship devolution deal. He later became the first Chair of UK Research and Innovation, where he oversaw £8 billion in annual science funding.

Total finance man they might as well have appointed Jeremey Westlake at least hes spent over decade inside the industry even if he was in finance roles.

For all the issue people have with Beeching he had a good engineering industry background or in the case of Peter Parker he knew how to pull the industry together and re orientate using Bob Reid.

So the jurys out and it now depends who gets to become CEO and there runes arent good with those currently in DfTO being very aloof given the various challenges the current faces. Anyhow at least there is now someone for GBR to coalesce around and begin to move forward.

 

[Goldfish62]

Far better to have someone who understands how the Treasury works than an outsider.

Very much so. The Treasury is going to be his most important stakeholder (apart from passengers!), as it was for the successive Chairmen of BR.

 

[Farigiraf]

An extract from Wikipedia (so requires a pinch of salt) about Kingman's past endeavours:

Kingman led on liberalising the annuity market and creating the National Infrastructure Commission; he negotiated Greater Manchester's devolution deal, introducing an elected Mayor.

I wonder, may this have played a part in the selection process? I've no doubt that they primarily selected him for (presumably) being qualified to fit the role, but in doing so it does repay a debt that the current PM does owe, being instrumental in getting him where he is now. An interesting coincidence either way.

 

[504]

Sounds like someone who will listen to management not workers.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The Chair position of a corporation generally looks outward and upward.
The post of CEO or equivalent is the key one to look inwards and forwards, and which needs to understand the railway in great detail.
You only have to look at the equivalent past appointments at Network Rail to see the difference.
Kingman knows all about how government, and particularly the Treasury, works which will be invaluable in defending rail's budget.

Kingman is widely trusted by the Treasury. His appointment will be partly to convince them that GBR won't be a money pit. On balance a good thing

Far better to have someone who understands how the Treasury works than an outsider.

All good points,

 

[6Gman]

Sounds like someone who will listen to management not workers.

I'd quite like someone who listens to passengers and taxpayers.

Who pay for the show.

 

[Sorcerer]

I share people's apprehension about this appointment due to his background in finance and having little to no experience with the railway, and instinctively I would've liked a GBR Chairman to have had some roots in the industry. But perhaps this could turn out for the better as long as his background in finance gives him the mindset of improving how the money is used rather than simple cost-cutting. If he can reduce subsidy which a decline in quality I would consider that an optimal, if not slightly hopeful outcome.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

I share people's apprehension about this appointment due to his background in finance and having little to no experience with the railway, and instinctively I would've liked a GBR Chairman to have had some roots in the industry. But perhaps this could turn out for the better as long as his background in finance gives him the mindset of improving how the money is used rather than simple cost-cutting. If he can reduce subsidy which a decline in quality I would consider that an optimal, if not slightly hopeful outcome.

Whilst it always about the money of course there is the deeper issue here of putting the industry back together and getting it pulling in the same direction. To me that needed someone with charisma and ability to relate to and appeal to all levels across the industry not a technocrat. It might be acceptable if thee was a Bob Reid waiting in the ranks to become CEO but im not sure there is albeit Hynes is likely to end up as CEO

 

[GRALISTAIR]

A 30 years younger Chris Green.

 

[172007]

Money man as chair and hopefully a railway man as CEO and the rest a good balance. Could be a sensible balanced move.

 

[Djgr]

It certainly gives you the feeling that cost-cutting, not growth, is the name of the game...

I do feel that certain cost saving projects are inevitable as part of GBR. I predict in the next five years:

a) culling the duplication of HR departments and the like
b) an axe to ticket offices
c) an attempt to map railway operations staff salary unit costs to comparable "public servants"

 

[Crithylum]

I’m not as pessimistic as most. Asha Sharma (the new boss of XBox) had a similarly worrying CV and has (so far) has done a good job. As a side note I may get banned if I gave my true thoughts about the (now former?) chair of shadow GBR.

 

[Mugby]

Sort of reminds me of some of the appointments of the early days of privatisation, Gerald Corbett, Steven Marshall, Bob Horton etc.

People who's railway knowledge was nil.

 

[6PAN]

If he is savvy he will recognise that the way to reduce subsidy is to grow revenue primarily alongside more rigorous cost controls.

 

[CalderRail]

Doesn't the fact that he has a title fill you with confidence?

Quite the opposite. Titles mean that the recipient isn't someone who rocks the boat. Expect some real Treasury-Brain decisions.

 

[Swedenorer]

He follows a very mixed bag of whom only I think Johnson, Raymond and Reid 1 came from transport. Marsh was a career politician and a poor one. Parker - who was at Oxford with Robert Robinson and Norman Painting - came from Bookers. Beeching was a managerial chemist whose main attraction seems to me to be that he was not a railwayman. Reid 2 came from Shell. All were in one way or another under the continual cosh of the Treasury weren't they? This guy looks like the usual 'safe pair of hands' foisted by the civil service on a minister who should have gone for someone younger with at least some engineering background. He inherits the usual set of problems which have faced his predecessors together with the mammoth task of trying to unify an intentionally fragmented organisation. Maybe he was the only person they could find who would take on this nightmare?