Oxford Bus Group celebrate staff excellence in Really Amazing Awards Night

 

• 11 colleagues celebrate a combined 355 years of long service
• Inspirational staff rewarded for outstanding achievements
• Bus sectors’ unsung heroes celebrated for exceptional customer care

 

Oxford Bus Group celebrated the achievements of our colleagues at our ‘Really Amazing Awards’ ceremony held at the prestigious Ashmolean Sculpture Gallery in the centre of Oxford.

Members of the teams at Oxford Bus Company and our sister companies, Thames Travel, Carousel Buses, and City Sightseeing Oxford, gathered to mark the successes of our colleagues.

The highlight of the evening was recognising a remarkable combined long service of 355 years by 12 colleagues. Oxford Bus Company bodybuilder Nigel Brown was rewarded for 50 years’ service, with Bus Driver Gary Butler and Engineer Andy Bowler marking 40 years’ each, while nine others received awards for 25 years’ service.

Staff scooped the coveted awards in nine categories. Rewarding service and exceptional performance by teams and individuals in Oxford Bus Group. The winners, with the exception of the Long Service Awards recipients, were nominated directly by colleagues and reduced down to a shortlist of three in each category prior to the event.

Chris Reeves, Oxford Bus Group’s Data, Fares and Ticketing Manager, was awarded the Above and Beyond Award, celebrating his role in integrating Pulhams into the business and launching new on-board ticket machines across all depots.

Airline driver, Oseas Nunes, received the Customer Hero Award after getting multiple colleague and customer commendations. He was recognised for consistently delivering exceptional customer experience and going above and beyond.

Dan Reed of Oxford Bus Company was awarded Engineer of the Year, with his calm, can-do attitude being highlighted, while Gareth Jones, Thames Travel Relief Controller, scooped the Rising Star Award for his outstanding commitment and desire to develop his skills.

Jane Stowell, Cash Office Supervisor at the Oxford Bus Group, won the Unsung Hero Award, and Matty Davis, Engineering Shift Manager at Oxford Bus Company was awarded Supervisor of the Year. The City Sightseeing Oxford Travel Shop team scooped the A Team gong for working together as a great team.

A gold, silver, and bronze award for Star of the Year for 2023 was awarded, reflecting the high calibre of entries. Donna Colley, Bus Driver for Oxford Bus Company won bronze, with Airline Driver Licinio Rocha taking silver, adding to his previous gold award win for 2020. Fellow Airline Driver Jake Saw received the prestigious gold award.

The 25 years’ long service awards were presented to Julian Antonen, Martyn Ballinger, Nunzio Bianchi, Jan France, Paul Hennigan, Wayne McKay, John Perry, Danny Thompson and David Troth.

The night was hosted by Oxford Bus Group’s Managing Director Luke Marion, Finance Director Neil Butler and Service Delivery Director Paul Hennigan, with renowned comedian Maisie Adam providing the entertainment.

The event was sponsored by Alexander Dennis, Zenobe, Wrightbus, Hanover Displays, Mistral, Lazzerini and Ticketer. We thank them all for their support.

Luke Marion, Managing Director, summed the evening up perfectly:

“It was brilliant to celebrate the people who have done really

amazing work to ensure we consistently deliver a first-class service to our passengers. We also recognised our colleagues who have given a substantial number of years’ service to the Company.

“There are so many unsung heroes within our group of businesses who do an excellent job, providing first-class public service, and they should be very proud of their achievements.

“It was a big year for the company, with our record investment in an electric fleet of vehicles and the acquisition of Pulhams, and it’s important to recognise the people behind our strong performance.”