Martin back at Arriva as new owners re-shape board

A leadership shake-up at bus and train group Arriva has seen David Martin return as Executive Chairman of the group’s management board. He will also assume Group CEO responsibilities for an interim period following the departure of  Mike Cooper after four years, whilst seeking a successor and looking  after Group strategy including a planned €2bn investment programme.

Martin stepped down as Arriva CEO in 2017 after a decade in that role, then spent time as a non-executive director of McGill’s before becoming FirstGroup Chairman from 2019 until earlier this year.

He has taken senior positions at both Arriva and its owner, Miami-based I Squared Capital which bought the business from Deutsche Bahn earlier this year. Cooper said he was departing having “done what I came back to do – stabilise, turn around and sell Arriva to a credible new owner that will invest in the business and enable it to deliver on its potential”.

Also joining the Arriva board are three non-executive directors – Guillaume Pepy , former Chairman of French national railway company SNCF; Alexander Doll, former Chief Financial Officer of Deutsche Bahn; and Simon Glass, former Deputy Group Finance Director at RBS Group and Standard Chartered Bank.