Bullish Souter looks to new era of innovation to drive growth

Sir Brian Souter’s keynote address at the Travel 2020 conference provided a fascinating insight into the Stagecoach chief’s vision for his company’s future development and positioning in the passenger transport marketplace. James Dark spoke to him about his thinking

James Dark is a specialist transport writer and commentator. He has interviewed more than 100 senior transport executives over the past decade for New Transit and other publications as well as assisting a wide range of organisations in communications, marketing and project management roles.

James Dark is a specialist transport writer and commentator. He has interviewed more than 100 senior transport executives over the past decade for New Transit and other publications as well as assisting a wide range of organisations in communications, marketing and project management roles.

The early ‘Wild West’ days following UK bus industry deregulation are most often characterised as a period of destructive bus wars and cost cutting.  Yet it is a period that Stagecoach chief executive Sir Brian Souter believes has some still-relevant lessons for the way the industry should develop over the next decade.

In many respects the late 1980s were a period of innovation and product development as well as competitive excesses, he believes. Initiatives included new high...