Our team
Everyone in our team has a crucial role in delivering a great service to our customers, and to show them that we’re with them on their journey. GTR is made up of a variety of roles making a difference to people, from engineers and train drivers to station managers.
Executive team
Our executive team has extensive experience of putting customers in the forefront when delivering a railway that works for everyone on our network.
Angie Doll
Chief Executive Officer
Angie took up the position of Chief Executive Officer at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) in November 2023. Her focus is building on the progress made re-establishing GTR’s customer base since the pandemic to meet customers’ needs, connect people and help communities thrive.
Angie joined the railway industry in 1999 as station manager in Brighton. Since then she has held several senior roles, including Passenger Services Director for Gatwick Express and Southern, before becoming Managing Director both of those brands in 2019. During Angie’s tenure as Managing Director, Southern won Passenger Operator of the Year in 2021. Angie then went on to become Interim Chief Operating Officer at GTR, a role that was made permanent in April 2022.
Angie has extensive management experience in a career spanning more than 24 years in the rail industry. Highlights include her role as Commercial Manager for the introduction of the first UK domestic high-speed rail service at St Pancras in December 2009, and responsibility for Olympic Transport Planning of the Javelin service for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Angie is particularly proud to have championed youth employability programmes such as the Prince’s Trust ‘Get Into Railways’ programme, sector-based Work Academy Programmes and Kickstart, which has given more than 200 young people from socially and economically deprived areas a career in rail.
She is an advocate for diversity in the workplace and increasing the number of women in rail. In 2019 she was awarded the Everywoman in Transport & Logistics Industry Champion Award. In 2021 she was Winner of Rail Business Award for Diversity in Rail. She is a Director for the Railway Charity Ball and Trustee for Women in Rail.
John Whitehurst
Chief Operating Officer
John joined GTR in May 2024, bringing significant transport experience with him, having managed large teams and multi-million-pound projects across operations, infrastructure and engineering.
He previously held roles at Network Rail as Route Infrastructure Maintenance Director on the Kent and Anglia routes, and spent nearly 12 years at Serco, where he was latterly Managing Director of Transport and Community Services.
John is responsible for ensuring GTR’s operations are safe, reliable and sustainable, whilst maintaining a relentless focus on making sure customers receive a high-quality service.
John leads the operational planning and delivery of services across GTR’s four brands – Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern, and Thameslink – which collectively represent approximately 18% of UK rail passenger journeys. He also holds key relations with the supply chain and industry partners such as Network Rail.
Louis Rambaud
Chief Customer Officer
Louis originally joined GTR in March 2024 as Chief of Staff. In July 2024, he was appointed to Chief Customer Officer.
Louis joined the business from GTR’s parent company, The Go-Ahead Group, where he was the Strategy and Transformation Director, playing a key role in championing bus services, improving performance and supporting the transition to a digital and Zero-Emission company.
Before this, Louis held a number of senior roles at public transport company, Transdev, where he was CEO of UK and Ireland, and deputy CEO of Western Europe and the Mediterranean region.
Louis was pivotal in developing GTR’s new strategy and ambition to increase customer numbers and grow revenue. His focus remains on helping the business create great journeys for customers, driving revenue growth and delivering operational excellence.
Train drivers
Our train drivers get our customers safely to their jobs, to their homes and to leisure destination across our network.
My focus is getting people from A to B safely and I hope to have a positive impact on peoples’ journeys. My job satisfaction comes from doing my job as best I can and providing a valuable service.
Alexandra
Trainee train driver
Station managers
Across all stations on our network, large and small, our station managers make sure that our customers’ experience is improved in all areas of the station environment.
My favourite part of this role is that every day is different, one day you’re on a course, the next you’re in a meeting, or visiting different departments, or at another station.Ramla
Station Manager
Station assistants
Our stations assistants have a safety-critical role dispatching trains so that they leave the station safely, while at the same time providing first-class customer service to customers.
My role is absolutely fantastic. I love the dispatching, it feels so good to send a train out on time for our customers. When assisting customers, I try to put myself in their shoes and treat people with patience, understanding, care, and respect.Justin
Station Assistant
Rail operation control
Our Control staff keep our service running and our staff and customers informed. They identify and react to occurrences as they take place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and aim to provide the best possible train service to customers, whatever the circumstances.
The Customer Experience Team Leader role provides customers with detailed and concise information when their journey is disrupted, so they’re enabled to make the right travel choices tailored to their journey. As well as updating our websites and apps, I’ll work with my colleagues to ensure instant updates are available using various other channels useful to our customers.Azeem
Customer Experience Team Leader
Engineering
Over the last few years our Engineering Department have delivered fantastic results for our customers including: shorter turnaround times and brand-new trains. Our teams have made a big difference to our customers. Whether you are interested in maintenance, fault diagnosis, or management, we have opportunities at all levels.
I can honestly say that from my experience so far, GTR has a lot of positives. Engineering jobs tend to be secure, because, engineers are always needed in some capacity. The skills learnt in engineering are important and transferable. There is a clear development programme available to engineering staff. Hard work and determination pay off.Kevin
Service Engineer
Head office
Our Head Office Staff play an important role in supporting our front-line staff. From Doctors in our Occupational Health Department to Communications Experts, we hire head office staff from almost all backgrounds, industries, and fields of expertise. We are dedicated to providing a great Employee Experience for our staff so that they have everything they need to provide a good Customer Experience.
My role as a Safety Risk Specialist (stations) looks closely at ensuring the safety our customers and staff whilst at the station and on the train. Not only do I to assess risk at stations, but I also suggest recommendations for improved safety and infrastructure. GTR has an amazing record for personal development, you can choose to pick up knowledge from any department if you’re willing to learn and progress.Emmanuel
Safety Specialist
On Board Supervisors
The role as On Board Supervisor puts you in the forefront of customer service, whether that is helping someone carry their luggage onto the train or assisting them with a ticket for their journey. It is fast paced and requires high levels of communication between not only yourself and the passengers, but also with team members.
I am often a first point of contact for those people travelling to or from the airport, which can be a stressful and confusing time for people who are first time visitors. By being approachable and available I can make their journey that little bit easier.I love that every day is different! New people coming and going every hour of the day! I get the pleasure of meeting different people from all over the world and being able to be the first to welcome them, or give advice on places to visit, is what I enjoy most.Sarah
On Board Supervisor
Rail Enforcement Officers
Our Rail Enforcement Officers are faced with many different challenges, whether it be fare evasion, a vulnerable person, or low-level crime such as anti-social behaviour. The approach to dealing with each situation requires a broad skill set and good communication, regularly thinking on your feet and assessing situations to keep everyone safe.
A highlight that I enjoy is engaging with our customers and building a rapport with regular passengers.Mark
Rail Enforcement Officer
Future talent
As we continue to modernise our train services, infrastructure and working practices, apprentices, graduates and placement students provide a fresh perspective that every organisation needs to thrive. We offer nationally-recognised qualifications for all apprentices and high-level industry qualifications for graduates and placement students. Many of our managers have started their careers with GTR via graduate or apprenticeship roles and we continue to seek out the leaders of tomorrow.
Our “Get Into Railways” programme, in partnership with The Prince’s Trust, helps young people who are struggling to find work to find employment.