Non Executive Directors

Neil Micklethwaite

Neil Micklethwaite has worked in finance and commercial roles both in the public and private sector for over 15 years. He started his career as a trainee accountant on British Railways' Management Training Scheme in 1992 and is a now a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Neil worked within the railways in various financial and management accounting roles going through privatisation before moving to work within systems accounting roles in central government, financial services and telecoms for 5 years. Neil returned to the rail industry in 2001, working for First Great Western as financial accountant, then onto bid accountant, before moving to Chiltern Railways as Commercial Manager. Neil remained as Chiltern's Commercial Director for over 2 years, before returning to First Great Western.

Neil is also a partner in a property investment organisation, as well as successfully attaining the Professional Certificate in Management.

John Nelson

John Nelson is Chairman of management consultants First Class Partnerships (FCP) which he created in 1997 after 30 years in top rail industry jobs. FCP provides strategic support to most rail companies in the UK and several abroad. Joining British Rail as an Economics graduate from Manchester University in 1968 he pursued a career in operations and commercial management which saw him become General Manager of BR's Eastern Region (1987-92) and Network South East (1992-7). Following privatisation he sat on the Board of M40 Trains (Laing Rail) until 2006 and promoted two new companies, Hull Trains (established 1999) and Wrexham & Shropshire, which starts operations this year. He is currently promoting a third which will operate between Liverpool and Glasgow. When Connex lost its franchise John, whose consulting company is operator of last resort for the Department of Transport, sat on the Board of South Eastern Trains Holdings between 2003 and 2006. He writes a monthly opinion column for Transit magazine.