Go-Ahead calls in London star

Transport giant Go-Ahead has added a former key player within Boris Johnson’s London transport strategy to its boardroom.

The Newcastle-based plc has appointed Val Proctor as group HR director, bringing over 20 years of HR experience to the group through previous private and public sector roles.

Before joining Go-Ahead on an interim basis in early 2012, she was head of organisational capability and development for Transport for London, supporting the delivery of the Mayor’s transport strategy. She previously held roles with the Ministry of Justice and Prudential.

Over the coming months, she will be focusing on Go-Ahead’s talent management programme, designed to attract high calibre people and retain talent in the business, as well as ensuring the group’s performance management systems are robust.

She will be working closely with bus and rail businesses to ensure that the HR structures in place are effective and cost efficient.

" At Go-Ahead we value each of our 23,000 employees and are committed to investing in our people,”  said group chief executive David Brown. “Val’s wealth of experience will help us maximise the talent we have within the Group.”

Ms Proctor added: "There is growth and change happening in both our bus and rail businesses. This means that we need to be agile and move quickly to respond to opportunities and challenges when they arrive.

“We are committed to making sure that we have the right HR practices in place, and that we develop our people to be able to manage this well. Having been with Go-Ahead for a year, I know the business well and I am looking forward to building on the good work that has been started during 2012."