Stagecoach has announced the appointment of a new managing director to lead its operations in the west of England.

Chris Hanson, previously operations director of Stagecoach West, started the job on June 1.

He said: "I’m really pleased to be taking on the role of managing director and am looking forward to working closer with my senior leadership team to keep us moving forward with our ambitions.

"Communication is a key factor to leading the management teams to continue to always look for the best we can provide to our customers and challenging ourselves to always look to improve."

His tenure will see him working closely with local stakeholders across the west of England including in Oxfordshire and Swindon.

With more than 1,300 employees across nine depots, Mr Hanson will also be focusing on strengthening employee engagement.

Beginning his career as a bus driver, he switched to Stagecoach from First Bus in 2023.

Since his arrival, he has launched a new training structure to ensure that the company is recruiting the right calibre of driver.

Stagecoach chief operating officer, Sam Greer, said: "We’re delighted that our customers, stakeholders and employees in the West can continue to benefit from Chris’ deep understanding of the bus industry.

“We believe that thriving bus services have a critical role to play in local communities and the economy, so we look forward to seeing Chris’s people-first approach support a successful and vibrant local community."