Stagecoach Yorkshire Operations Director Sue Hayes has retired after 49 years’ service to the business and its predecessors.
Ms Hayes began her career with forerunner Yorkshire Traction in 1973 as an engineering clerk, and from there progressed to ultimately lead driving and operations teams across five depots in South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire. Among the many changes that she has seen over the intervening period is an increase in the number of female drivers.
“When I started, there were no women bus drivers, let alone a female Operations Director in charge of every driver in the company. I am proud to have been one of the women leading an industry-wide change to see more women represented in public transport.”
Some of that work was undertaken by Ms Hayes in 2018, when she led a national campaign by Stagecoach to change how recruitment into driving roles was undertaken and to attract a more diverse talent pool, which aimed to change the typical perception of who takes bus driving jobs. Stagecoach Yorkshire now has a higher percentage of female drivers than ever, and it also has strong representation of women on its senior management team.
Other achievements during Ms Hayes’ career include work with the Barnsley Chamber of Commerce, an invite to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party in 2015 following successful delivery of transport during a visit of the Queen to Sheffield, and in 2016, recognition at 10 Downing Street to celebrate the heroes and heroines of the transport industry.
She also cites one of her proudest moments as being the work done as part of a team to make the 2017 Special Olympics in Sheffield possible.
“I am lucky to be able to say that I have genuinely enjoyed my career. For me, this is not just a job. It is a passion, and a passion I hope I have spread to others throughout my time in the industry. Looking back at where it all started, it is hard to believe how much it has changed. I think I can say that my impact on the industry has been positive, and I hope it will be lasting.”
