Richard has worked at a senior level in both Public and Private Sector companies for over 30 years, both in the UK and internationally.

His previous senior roles include Group Commercial Director for the Virgin Group of Companies reporting directly to Sir Richard Branson with specific responsibility for transport. He was a Non-Executive Director of Virgin Atlantic Airways and Co-Chairman of Virgin Rail Group.

In December 2001, he was appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport to be Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority, a post he held for 3 years. Between September 2006 and July 2009, he was Group Chief Executive of National Express Group Plc, one of the world’s leading international transport businesses. Subsequent to that he spent three years (2009 – 2012) as CEO of Etihad Rail PJSC, an Abu Dhabi based Government owned business tasked with designing and building a brand new railway network in the UAE.

More recently he has held senior positions within the world of Sports administration. Between 2012 and 2018 he was the Senior Independent Director of the English Football League and for four years (2013 – 2017) was a Commissioner of the Football Regulatory Authority. Between June 2017 and January 2019 he was Chair of UK Athletics, the Governing Body for the sport of Athletics in the UK and prior to that, was a Director on the Board of the London Marathon, one of the world’s most successful charitable fundraising events.

Richard is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and a Fellow of the Institute of Logistics and Transport. He was made a CBE in the New Year’s Honours List 2005 for services to the railway industry. He is a keen runner and cyclist and owns an award winning retail business in the cycling sector.