Arriva announces new Managing Director for Mainland Europe

(Thursday, 30 June 2022) Arriva, a leading European passenger transport partner, has announced the appointment of Sian Leydon to the role of Managing Director for Mainland Europe, reporting directly to the Arriva Group CEO Mike Cooper, effective from 4 July 2022.

Sian has been an Arriva Management Board member since March 2021 when she joined the business as Chief Transformation Officer with responsibility for evolving the strategic vision of the Arriva Group, including all its businesses across Europe.

In her new role, Sian will oversee the leadership of Arriva’s presence in 10 European countries, including Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Slovakia and Slovenia. She will be responsible for leading and supporting the teams to innovate and deliver modern and safe passenger transport services, and to facilitate collaborative working with clients and commissioning bodies, Governments, and our supply chain to help transition towards low-emission mobility to help address environmental challenges. 

Mike Cooper, the Arriva Group CEO said: “Sian has extensive leadership experience of developing and driving growth and transformation strategies, as well as a deep understanding of how to deliver business performance outcomes.  I am excited about the focus and energy she will bring to the role, ably supported by excellent teams across Europe.”

Commenting on the announcement, Sian Leydon said: “Our vision at Arriva is to help shape a future where passenger transport is the best choice, so that we can play our part in creating a more sustainable future for generations to come.  Working in partnership with our client authorities to deliver increasingly more sustainable transport solutions is fundamental to achieving that vision, but from a social perspective delivering affordable, reliable, and accessible transport services are also key.  I am excited to work with our teams across Europe to drive that agenda forward.”

Prior to joining Arriva, Sian held Executive Leadership positions at Sydney Water Australia for over four years including leading Customer, Strategy and Regulation where she led the long-term strategy and transformation of the business. She also led frontline operations and customer service during a time of unprecedented operational challenges.