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.

Ralph Pidsley

Chief Financial Officer

Ralph Pidsley became Govia Thameslink Railway’s Chief Financial Officer in early 2023.

Bringing extensive experience to the role, Ralph started his career as a trainee management accountant with GEC-Marconi. He went on to hold senior positions with BAE Systems, Siemens Mobility and Transport for London. More recently, he was Finance Director of Boeing UK, and worked across a range of interim management roles in transport and defence before joining GTR as interim Chief Financial Officer in 2022.

At GTR, Ralph’s diverse role encompasses key CFO functions including accounting, financial control, reporting and planning, alongside several other large departments including IT, internal audit, procurement and programme portfolio management.

He is a passionate advocate of the UK rail sector’s potential to be a powerful economic force for growth, as well as combatting climate change. He is particularly committed to working in partnerships with others across the industry, such as the Department for Transport, to ensure GTR continues to run an efficient and effective rail operation.

Mark Pavlides

Interim Chief Customer Officer

Mark joined GTR as Chief Customer Officer in July 2023, bringing a wealth of international experience and expertise from across the transport, travel, customer and digital sectors.

Mark graduated from the University of Surrey with a degree in mechanical engineering before joining British Airways. From there he spent more than a decade leading customer service, distribution and technology for British Airways and Qantas Holidays in the UK and Australia, leading both businesses through significant periods of industry change.

He moved to work across Asia Pacific next, in customer services director roles for a diverse range of global organisers leading complex international teams spanning travel insurance, bookmaking and accountancy. Key to all of these roles was a focus on ensuring the customer voice was heard and customers were protected.

Mark sees his role at GTR as expanding the commitment to its millions of customers each year to ensure their experiences remain at the heart of the operator’s service and approach. He is passionate about getting it right for the customer, promoting rail for its green credentials and using technology and data to understand customers and make improvements.

As Chief Customer Officer, Mark is responsible for the end-to-end customer journey ranging from ticketing and retail to the in-station and on-board experience, accessibility, customer information and aftercare.

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.
Train driver Alexandra

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.
Station Manager Ramla

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

Justin

Station Assistant

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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

Azeem

Customer Experience Team Leader

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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

Kevin

Service Engineer

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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

Emmanuel

Safety Specialist

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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

Sarah

On Board Supervisor

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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.
Rail Enforcement Officer Mark Kathro

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.

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