Neil Renilson
Encyclopedia
Neil Renilson is a businessman who works in the travel and tourism industry. He has held high-ranking positions at a number of large bus companies including Stagecoach Group
and Lothian Buses
, and is currently a director of Jacobite Cruises.
. While there he shared a flat with runner Sebastian Coe.
Renilson joined National Bus Company
's graduate training programme in 1977, holding posts at companies including United Automobile Services
, Yorkshire Traction
, City of Oxford Motor Services
, United Counties Omnibus
, Trent Motor Traction
and Northern General Transport Company
.
subsidiary Strathtay Scottish
. He stayed at the company for two years before joining Stagecoach Group
in 1989.
His move to Stagecoach saw Renilson take over as chairman of the group's operations in Scotland and Kenya
. A string of improvements in performance culminated in the Stagecoach Bluebird subsidiary coming first at the Bus Industry Awards 1996. He left Stagecoach in 1998 following a management shake-up in which Stagecoach founders Brian Souter
and Ann Gloag
gave up overall control of the group's bus division.
to take over as its chief executive. He took charge in February 1999. He chose his own management team, bringing in a number of his former team from Stagecoach.
Renilson's time at Lothian saw a number of notable successes. A flat fare system was introduced to reduce complexity, two of the company's three garages were improved and updated, and the majority of the fleet was replaced. Passenger numbers increased from 82 million to 114 million per year between 1998 and 2008, and the company was named the best in the UK four times. Following Lothian's victory at the 2007 UK Bus Operator of the Year Awards, Renilson himself was runner-up at the Passenger Transport Professional Awards in 2008.
Despite these successes, Renilson was not popular with many Lothian staff members, with one group of drivers setting up a website to anonymously criticise the company. In 2005 a prolonged period of strike action was only ended following a massively improved pay deal.
For eight years Renilson was also the managing director of Lothian, but was replaced in this capacity by Ian Craig in June 2006 so he could concentrate on his role as chief executive of the council-owned transport initiatives department Transport Edinburgh. This included responsibility for the new Edinburgh Trams development intended to begin operation in 2011. Renilson would later state that following Craig's appointment he had spent about 80% of his time working on the project.
In October 2008, following ten years at the company, Renilson announced his intention to take early retirement aged 52. This followed a difficult financial year in which rising fuel prices, combined with tram works in Edinburgh city centre leading to a drop in passenger numbers, had seen profitability fall. He stated that he had intended to retire aged 55, but had moved aside early to allow the company time to adjust to his departure before the trams commenced operation.
The day after Renilson announced his retirement, Lothian revealed that the position of chief executive would not be filled immediately, with control instead passing to Craig. This was part of an effort to reduce costs as revenue fell.
Renilson was paid £324,000 on leaving the company. The level of the payment received some criticism following Lothian's announcement in August 2009 that it had made an operating loss for the first time in its history, but was strongly defended by the company, with then-chairman Pilmar Smith stating to the press: "During Neil's ten-year tenure at the helm of Lothian Buses he orchestrated constant passenger and revenue growth."
Renilson joined Inverness-based tourist cruise firm Jacobite Cruises as a director in May 2010, working for the firm on a part-time basis. He had previously worked in the area with Stagecoach Bluebird and was pleased to be able to return, stating that he was "thrilled with the new position".
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
and Lothian Buses
Lothian Buses
Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses...
, and is currently a director of Jacobite Cruises.
Early life
Renilson was born in Edinburgh in 1955, and showed an early interest in public transport: he states that the second word he spoke was "tram". After leaving school he spent two years as a trainee at what was then Edinburgh Corporation Transport, before taking a degree in transport management and planning at Loughborough UniversityLoughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
. While there he shared a flat with runner Sebastian Coe.
Renilson joined National Bus Company
National Bus Company
The National Bus Company, or NBC, was the Australian brand for National Express Group's mass transit bus services in Melbourne and Brisbane. Its sister companies were Westbus, Hillsbus, and Glenorie in Sydney, Southern Coast Transit in Perth.-Routes:...
's graduate training programme in 1977, holding posts at companies including United Automobile Services
United Automobile Services
United Automobile Services or United, as it was commonly known, was a major provider of bus services across the North East and North Yorkshire for 80 years or more...
, Yorkshire Traction
Yorkshire Traction
Yorkshire Traction was a bus operator in South Yorkshire. Between 1986 and 2005 it was a key part of the Traction Group. In December 2005 it was sold to the Stagecoach Group.-History:...
, City of Oxford Motor Services
Oxford Bus Company
Oxford Bus Company is a bus operator serving the city and surrounding area of Oxford, England and is the trading name of City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd. It is now a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group...
, United Counties Omnibus
United Counties Omnibus
United Counties Omnibus is an English bus company, operating in Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, and parts of surrounding counties. It was established in 1921 as the United Counties Omnibus & Road Transport Co Ltd, and from 1933 has been named the United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd...
, Trent Motor Traction
Trent Barton
Trent Barton is one of the very small number of significant independent bus operators in the United Kingdom. It was formed as the result of merging Derbyshire's Trent Buses with Nottinghamshire's Barton Transport....
and Northern General Transport Company
Northern General Transport Company
The Northern General Transport Company was the original founding company of what is now Go-Ahead Group.It originated in the early 1900s when Gateshead and District Tramways asked Parliament's permission to extend their Tramway, which finished at Low Fell, to Chester-le-Street. Parliament denied the...
.
Strathtay and Stagecoach
Renilson returned to Scotland in 1987 to become the managing director of recently-formed Dundee based Scottish Bus GroupScottish Bus Group
The Scottish Bus Group was a state-owned Scottish holding company that included a number of bus operators covering the whole of Scotland. The group was formed in 1961 as Scottish Omnibuses Group Ltd, to take control of the British Transport Commission's bus operating subsidiaries in Scotland...
subsidiary Strathtay Scottish
Strathtay Scottish
Stagecoach Strathtay is a Scottish bus operating company which covers the Dundee and Angus areas, and parts of Grampian. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group, which bought Strathtay Scottish Omnibuses Ltd from Traction Group in 2005...
. He stayed at the company for two years before joining Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
in 1989.
His move to Stagecoach saw Renilson take over as chairman of the group's operations in Scotland and Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. A string of improvements in performance culminated in the Stagecoach Bluebird subsidiary coming first at the Bus Industry Awards 1996. He left Stagecoach in 1998 following a management shake-up in which Stagecoach founders Brian Souter
Brian Souter
Sir Brian Souter , is a Scottish businessman. He is the co-founder of the Stagecoach Group, along with his sister, Ann Gloag. He is also widely known for his controversial public statements and for his attempt to keep Section 28 in law, which led to widespread accusations of homophobia...
and Ann Gloag
Ann Gloag
Ann Gloag, OBE , is a Scottish business woman and charity campaigner.-Biography:Educated at Caledonian Road Primary School and Perth High School, she qualified as a nurse and during a 20 year career worked as a burns unit sister.-Stagecoach:Gloag founded bus company "Gloagtrotter" in October 1980...
gave up overall control of the group's bus division.
Lothian Buses
In 1998 it was announced that Renilson would be moving to council-owned Lothian BusesLothian Buses
Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses...
to take over as its chief executive. He took charge in February 1999. He chose his own management team, bringing in a number of his former team from Stagecoach.
Renilson's time at Lothian saw a number of notable successes. A flat fare system was introduced to reduce complexity, two of the company's three garages were improved and updated, and the majority of the fleet was replaced. Passenger numbers increased from 82 million to 114 million per year between 1998 and 2008, and the company was named the best in the UK four times. Following Lothian's victory at the 2007 UK Bus Operator of the Year Awards, Renilson himself was runner-up at the Passenger Transport Professional Awards in 2008.
Despite these successes, Renilson was not popular with many Lothian staff members, with one group of drivers setting up a website to anonymously criticise the company. In 2005 a prolonged period of strike action was only ended following a massively improved pay deal.
For eight years Renilson was also the managing director of Lothian, but was replaced in this capacity by Ian Craig in June 2006 so he could concentrate on his role as chief executive of the council-owned transport initiatives department Transport Edinburgh. This included responsibility for the new Edinburgh Trams development intended to begin operation in 2011. Renilson would later state that following Craig's appointment he had spent about 80% of his time working on the project.
In October 2008, following ten years at the company, Renilson announced his intention to take early retirement aged 52. This followed a difficult financial year in which rising fuel prices, combined with tram works in Edinburgh city centre leading to a drop in passenger numbers, had seen profitability fall. He stated that he had intended to retire aged 55, but had moved aside early to allow the company time to adjust to his departure before the trams commenced operation.
The day after Renilson announced his retirement, Lothian revealed that the position of chief executive would not be filled immediately, with control instead passing to Craig. This was part of an effort to reduce costs as revenue fell.
Renilson was paid £324,000 on leaving the company. The level of the payment received some criticism following Lothian's announcement in August 2009 that it had made an operating loss for the first time in its history, but was strongly defended by the company, with then-chairman Pilmar Smith stating to the press: "During Neil's ten-year tenure at the helm of Lothian Buses he orchestrated constant passenger and revenue growth."
Post-Lothian
In announcing his retirement Renilson also stated that he did not want to continue in bus industry management. Despite this, there were several rumours that Renilson intended to take another job in the industry, with some suggesting that he would be Stagecoach's next UK Bus managing director. All proved to be unfounded.Renilson joined Inverness-based tourist cruise firm Jacobite Cruises as a director in May 2010, working for the firm on a part-time basis. He had previously worked in the area with Stagecoach Bluebird and was pleased to be able to return, stating that he was "thrilled with the new position".