Philip Purdy has made the 10,500-mile trip from Melbourne to Manchester to take up his new role as Metrolink Director at Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE).
The Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive is responsible for the Manchester Metrolink, which has been the blueprint for similar systems in other cities. Research now suggests that it has replaced up to 3.5 million car journeys.
When they came to recruit a new Director to handle a major expansion, Veredus were asked to support the search. Our research team conducted a UK and global search to find the best talent within light rail systems and spoke to individuals across Europe, America, Canada, UK and Australia.
This is a vital role for Manchester’s transport infrastructure, as the new director will be overseeing the £600m expansion of the tram network. The new Metrolink extensions will nearly double the size of the network and it is estimated that it will take an extra five million car journeys off local roads every year.
Philip Purdy was appointed to the role as the result of our search. Philip has more than 30 years’ transport experience in Australia, having overseen a variety of major development projects in Melbourne. He was Asset Development Manager at Yarra Trains in Melbourne – one of the largest tram systems in the world - and has made the 10,500 mile trip to take up this new role in Manchester.
David Leather, GMPTE's Chief Executive, said: "Philip has a proven track record when it comes to overseeing tram projects and making sure they're completed both on time and within budget.
"His vast experience is going to be a major boost to the Metrolink expansion and I'm looking forward to working with him."