An assistant operations manager from South Shields has taken a step up the career ladder after being appointed as the new operations manager for the Hartlepool operations.
Jason Astley, 47, originally from the West Midlands, will now oversee the everyday running of the depot, as former manager Janine Fowley joins the South Shields team as its new operations manager.
He joins the team following five years as assistant operations manager at the depot in South Shields, where he worked alongside the operations manager, Brian Sleightholme, on the delivery of bus services across the region.
Jason began his career as a UK delivery driver, where he gained transport and driving experience and developed his customer service skills. In 1990, he undertook basic training in the Royal Navy, and then served five years as a weapons engineering mechanic, where duties included maintenance of radio, radar and warfare equipment.
Joining Stagecoach North East in 1998 as a minibus driver, Jason was quickly promoted to traffic inspector and then revenue protection inspector, before taking up as role as duty manager, where he gained supervisory experience over the next 11 years.
In 2010 Jason was employed as a senior duty manager, developing additional supervisory skills, and in 2011 was promoted to assistant operations manager where he was responsible for the day to day management of the depot, including customer and safety, compliance, staff retention and recruitment and delivery of strategic performance targets.
The new role of operations manager will bring fresh opportunities for Jason to develop his skills and expertise further, with the Hartlepool depot offering a fleet of 34 buses and a team of over 70 operations staff.
Jason is excited about the promotion and very much looking forward to getting settled in his new role. He said: “This is a great opportunity for me, stepping up to the role of operations manager and running a depot for the first time. I am also working with a new team and in a new area but I am very much looking forward to the challenge, and to building on the success former operations manager, Janine Fowley, has achieved.
“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 former manager, Brian Sleightholme and I am looking forward to putting this learning into practice.”
Colin Newbury, Operations Director, Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “I would like to congratulate Jason on his appointment; he has worked 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.”
For further information about Stagecoach North East please visit www.stagecoachbus.com