Pulhams appoints experienced Service Delivery Manager to further drive standards

Pulhams has continued its investment to drive quality standards and improve output with the appointment of an experienced Service Delivery Manager.

Martin Harrison grew up in Gloucester and seeing Pulhams vehicles was a part of everyday life.

Earlier this month, he was appointed Service Delivery Manager for the Pulhams depot at Cheltenham.

Mr Harrison earned a degree in Aviation Management at Loughborough University before spending four years as a Charter Sales Manager at Gloucestershire Airport.

He then worked as a Scheduler for First Bus in Bristol and was promoted to Staff Manager for the same company in Dublin.

Discussing his career, Mr Harrison said: “Not many people get to know how it all works in the private jet industry.

“It’s a 24/7 job, your phone is always on, and you have last-minute bookings to sort out. It’s fast-paced and never stops.

“I was always interested in buses though throughout my whole life. The intensity altered as I went from working with 10 pilots to more than 1,000 bus drivers across Bristol and the West, but I got to grips with it and made sure all our timetables were achievable.

“Moving to Dublin and going from working commercially to an operations role was a big change and being a manager brought with it new responsibilities, including engaging and motivating staff, and improving people’s lives at work.”

Mr Harrison joined Pulhams in October, fulfilling a full circle moment as he returned to his roots.

“Pulhams operates in my local area and I’m very passionate about where I’m from. I knew all about Pulhams and the brand, and I’ve been seeing their vehicles since I was a kid,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge here and implementing some small wins immediately.

“I will be responsible for ensuring we deliver our service at the Cheltenham depot, as well as engaging with our driver and supervisory team, managing incidents and working with our stakeholders.

“My job essentially is to make sure we deliver our services to the level we expect at Pulhams and Go-Ahead.

“I’m well-invested in my hometown and want the depot to thrive. I want to develop personally, and I want to see the depot delivering a great service.

“I want to see further training for our drivers and to see Pulhams taking on more private hire opportunities.”

Luke Marion, Managing Director of Pulhams, said: “Martin’s story is a fascinating one, and his career has taken him to some interesting place while performing a variety of roles.

“It’s great to bring all of that to Pulhams and his appointment will allow us to further improve both our service delivery for passengers and how our depot operates.”

Pulhams is part of Go Thames Valley, a family of operators which includes Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel, Carousel Buses, Pearces, and City Sightseeing Oxford, owned by parent company the Go-Ahead Group.