Arriva plc appoints new Director - Communications

Arriva plc, the leading European transport services group, hasappointed Simon Craven as its new Director of Communications. Mostrecently Simon has been Director of Strategic Communications for BTplc, for which he has undertaken a number of senior roles since1998. He will report to Steve Clayton, Group Managing Director ofCorporate Affairs, and will take up his appointment on 3 January2006.

Commenting today Mr Clayton said:

This is an important appointment for Arriva plc as wecontinue our proven strategy for developing our business in the UKand the mainland European markets.

I am delighted that Simon is joining us. His wealth ofexperience in a number of different sectors will bring a new andvaluable perspective to this key role in our business.

Simon Craven said:

I am very pleased to be joining a company which plays avital part in the lives of millions of people across Europe . I amkeenly looking forward to helping Arriva develop its reputation andits business still further.

Biographical notes

Simon Craven entered public relations in 1987 having begun hiscareer as a national magazine journalist during the early 1980s.In-house positions in financial services with Britannia BuildingSociety and Birmingham Midshires Building Society, opened the doorto a spell of consultancy focusing on issues management in the gasand supermarket industries. In 1997 he joined the technology sectorwith Cambridge-based telecoms company Ionica. He joined BT in 1998and moved up through several senior positions. In 2001 Simon wasselected as a member of the small senior management team overseeingBT's restructuring programme, and subsequently became Director,Strategic Communications for the group.

Notes for editors

• Arriva is one of the largest private sector providers ofpassenger transport in mainland Europe . Employing more than 30,000people and providing more than one billion passenger journeys everyyear.
• Arriva provides transport services including buses, trains,commuter coaches and waterbuses in eight European countries –Denmark, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain,Sweden and the UK .
• Arriva is the largest private bus operator in Italy, Denmarkand the Netherlands and is London's largest operator. Arriva wasthe first private company to be awarded rail contracts in Denmark.
• In the last five years, the turnover of Arriva's mainlandEuropean operations has increased by more than 250 per cent to£514.8 million (€757.9 million).
• Arriva was the first UK transport company to become a signatoryof the European Road Safety Charter.http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/roadsafety/charter.htm.