Where's our 2013 Rising Star now?

Having joined Manchester Metrolink as a driver in 2005, Gary had quickly risen though the ranks and, just three years later, was granted the role of ‘Minder Driver’. This meant that he had to guide new drivers into becoming ‘passenger ready’. This, he explains, was sometimes a baptism of fire for the new drivers as they had to get used to the operating speed of the vehicles, the demands of the timetable and being able to interact with the travelling public. It was while in this role that he discovered a love of training and instruction, and, given that 100% of the drivers under his guidance passed their practical tests, showed that he had a real aptitude for training. 

 

His talents were soon recognised, and he was promoted to Training Officer within the Safety and Training team just as the network was undergoing one of the biggest expansions that the UK light rail industry had ever seen. This meant that Gary and his team were responsible for putting the drivers through their paces on 33.7km of new track as well as 28 new tram stops- some 100 drivers in a 15-month period. His work was further recognised when he was promoted to the role of ‘Operations Expansion Manager’. His, and his team’s work, meant that the time taken to familiarize drivers on the new routes was cut by 50% and helped ensure that all of the new routes opened on time. This led him to be nominated for the 2013 Rising Star award and, then two years later, the ‘Employee of the Year’ award. 

 

Knowing that Gary was never keen on ‘blowing his own horn’, Manchester Metrolink did inform him that he was nominated for the ‘Rising Star’ award, but he never expected to win. He was very proud that they had nominated him, but he was never one to need a ‘pat on the back’ to continue to improve and move forward. 

“I know when I have done a good job, and I like to make things better. If I can look back and think that I did the absolute best that I could do, then that makes me proud. That is motivation enough for me. However, it was nice to get that recognition and that Metrolink wanted to celebrate me in front of the global light rail industry.” 

 

His enduring memory of the event? He was so nervous, he was afraid he would drop the award on the foot of host, Nicholas Owen! 

 

‘The awards gave me the chance to meet people that I would never have had the chance to otherwise. They put my name on the map and opened doors for me with senior people within the industry.’ 

 

So where next? Following his win, he was approached by UKTram, the industry’s governing body, to be a part of the Light Rail Operating Committee team as their Vice Chairman – a post which he held until last January. They not only wanted an expert to advise on safety regulations and operational requirements but also to represent the up-and-coming youth within the sector. 

 

Then, in 2017, he reached out to Ian Rowe Associates, a consultancy company, with whom he had previously worked and developed a close relationship. He asked to join their team and to help them drive the Avansim training simulator towards its full potential.