Bournemouth: Yellow Buses announces new financial director

Yellow Buses has appointed an experienced financial director. Noel Smith has joined the management team at the Bournemouth-based, locally-owned bus company.

Smith has previously held senior positions with BAE Systems, National Air Traffic Services and Aquila Air Traffic Management Services, as well as an interim role at Tower Supplies in Poole.

He said: “I am very much looking forward to the challenges ahead and am delighted to be given this opportunity. These are exciting times for Yellow Buses as we continue the transition journey from RAPT Dev ownership and develop and grow the business as a profitable independent entity.

“My focus will be to use my extensive corporate experience to drill down into our business, looking at key financial drivers, to see where I can make a difference and add that one or two per cent so crucial to making a success of anything in life.

“There is a close knit team at Yellow Buses, a real family atmosphere with everyone pulling in the same direction, which is fantastic."

Managing director David Squire said: “We welcome Noel aboard to our leadership team as someone who is an excellent practitioner right across the board and will bring a wealth of experience to Yellow Buses.

“Noel is very much an all-rounder, a problem-solver and a blue sky thinker who is already deeply immersed in the Yellows’ culture and I look forward to a long a fruitful professional relationship with him.

“His role – as someone new to the industry – is to sometimes put fresh eyes on the company and, if necessary, challenge the way things are done, drive results across all sectors.

"He will help to ensure we continue to deliver the best possible service for our 15 million passengers each year – with our expanded services, new vehicles and increased investment already leading to more customers and giving him a great platform from which to work.”

Yellow Buses was acquired by its management team – David Squire, MD; Simon Newport, commercial director and Phil Pannell, service delivery director – from RATP Dev in a management buyout in July 2019 for an undisclosed sum.