Company Structure

Ben Murray

I joined Go South Coast in 2013 and became finance director in 2016.

Originally graduating with high honours in 1999, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Information Systems at the University of Montana, I spent five years as a general manager in Alaska’s tourism industry.

I became a certified accountant during a five-year tenure in Hawaii at a highly specialised accounting practice and, as audit manager, I specialised in SMEs and not-for-profit organisations. 

After that, I moved to the UK - performing audits on large international businesses including Carnival Cruise Lines and IBM whilst at PwC in Southampton. 

Now at Go South Coast I lead the finance, IT, and HR functions, which act as partners to the wider business providing financial insight, support, and analysis to develop business strategies and ensure ongoing sustainability of our business.

David Lee-Kong

David joined Go South Coast in 2018, bringing 14 years’ experience in bus operations with another major bus group. He has a Degree in Transport Management from the University of Wales and has also worked for the Scottish Government and Confederation of Passenger Transport, the trade body which represents the bus and coach industry.

David is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business, most notably the drivers and control teams that deliver our services.  David also heads up the business partners that support our frontline staff, and include our customer service teams in our dedicated call centre and travel shops, training and development instructors, commercial development and planning teams and marketing executives that bring bus and coach travel to the people of the south coast.

A considerable amount of time and effort is given to ensuring that our colleagues receive the very best driving and customer care training to help make your journey smooth and hassle free. In addition to the bespoke training given to our driving staff, David is also responsible for our graduate development and internal management development programmes, both of which aim to provide the next generation of bus managers and directors.   

David is passionate about providing high quality services that our customers can rely upon day in day out. When time permits, you will find him out and about sampling our bus networks in Swindon, Salisbury, Southampton, the Isle of Wight, the New Forest, Poole, Bournemouth and across the wider county of Dorset, his version of walking ‘the shop floor.’ Occasionally you may even find him behind the wheel as your driver. The feedback and observations all go towards further developing and improving the journeys for people in the South of England every day.

Steve Hamilton

Steve Hamilton is the Engineering Director of Go South Coast (GSC). From a young age, he knew he wanted to work in Engineering. All of his schoolwork revolved around technical subjects. On leaving school in 1978, he secured an HGV apprenticeship with a company called British Road Services (BRS), which was the Scottish branch (SRS).  Steve worked in the HGV industry until 1986, when he joined the local bus company, Fife Scottish, as bus companies underwent deregulation. He has worked in the bus industry ever since.

Following Stagecoach's acquisition of Fife Scottish, Steve spent 14 years with the company, progressing through roles as Chargehand, Depot Foreman, and Engineering Manager of the central works. He was then seconded to Stagecoach Africa, overseeing engineering operations for Stagecoach Kenya Bus and Stagecoach Malawi during a six-year international assignment. At age 33, he was promoted to Engineering Director.

Returning to the UK, Steve assisted with integrating the newly acquired Stagecoach Manchester, spending two years incorporating former GM Buses operations. He subsequently moved to Northampton as Engineering Director for Stagecoach United Counties, which expanded to include Stagecoach Cambridge (Cambus) and Viscount Bus and Coach, forming Stagecoach East.

In 2004, he relocated to London as Engineering Director for Travel London, a National Express group company entering the London bus market, later extending his role to include Travel West Midlands.

Steve joined the Go-Ahead Group in July 2007 as Engineering Director for the GSC group of companies, where he has developed an award-winning engineering team recognised throughout the industry.

Outside work, his passion for mechanical and high-speed pursuits includes jet skiing and motorcycles. He participated as part of a race team competing in the British Superbike Series Superstock class for five seasons.

Marc West

Marc joined Go South Coast in 2012, and has over 30 years experience of working in a transport commercial & planning environment.

Originally responsible for Southern Vectis & Bluestar, he has recently taken responsibility for morebus & Salisbury Reds as well.

Marc's main responsibility is to ensure that the timetables are robust and run to time. Also that the logistics of the operation are workable and robust from both a passenger & driver perspective.

With data provision to Traveline, Real Time Information & Next Stop Announcement systems, his responsibilities are also to supply passenger information to websites and roadside displays, and the supply of statutory statistics to Local Authorities.

Julian Barnes

A south coast native and a graduate of Aston University’s Transport Management programme, Julian has over 30 years’ experience of bus network development gained from posts at Go South Coast and Transport for London.

As Commercial Development Manager since joining Go South Coast in December 2006, Julian has been instrumental in the growth, evolution and financial success of the company’s bus services. His ability to analyse and interpret data to generate innovative and cost-efficient development solutions is a key strength and has led to the implementation of many successful changes to the commercial network.

Similarly, Julian’s work has beneficially influenced the many services provided on behalf of Go South Coast’s multiple private and local authority clients. Essential to this is Julian’s ability to work cooperatively with individuals in external organisations to produce mutually effective, timely and attractively-priced solutions to all contractual issues’.

Andrew Sherrington

Andrew Sherrington has over 15 years of experience in both public and private transport sectors, holding senior leadership roles with organisations such as First Bus, Go South Coast, and Transport for Wales. He rejoined Go South Coast in 2023 as Head of Strategic Development, where he leads the group’s fleet decarbonisation strategy, supports local authorities in securing funding, and develops pro-bus initiatives to enhance public transport accessibility and sustainability.

In addition to his strategic responsibilities, Andrew also serves as General Manager for Salisbury Reds and Swindon Bus Company. In this role, he oversees daily operations, ensuring reliable service delivery and a positive experience for passengers across both networks.

Andrew’s career highlights include leading four successful ZEBRA 2 bids, securing funding for 61 electric vehicles to support Go South Coast’s transition to zero-emission fleets. He also played a key role in designing and transforming the TrawsCymru and Sherpa’r Wyddfa bus networks in Wales, improving connectivity and service quality in rural and tourist areas.

Andrew is passionate about innovation in transport and committed to driving forward sustainable, customer-focused solutions that benefit communities and the environment.

Richard Wade

Richard joined Go South Coast in 2015 as Operations Manager for Morebus based in Poole, before being promoted to morebus General Manager in 2021. His transport career began in 1996 with a Transport & Logistics Management degree at University of Huddersfield and he joined The Go-Ahead Group in 1998 while on that study path. He graduated with a First Class Honours degree in 2000 and was quickly promoted to Operations Manager at our sister company, Metrobus, in 2001, where he stayed until joining Morebus.

Richard is passionate about delivering a reliable bus service and has employed many team members who follow his lead over the years that have passed. He has developed a committed management team and Richard’s seemingly instinctive ability to see the most efficient way to run bus services has seen a very effective supervisory team develop under his guidance and that of his managerial team. He is especially proud of this.

Away from the coal face, Richard makes it his mission to get to know the communities within which we operate.  He works with a variety of local stakeholders to ensure the best for our bus passengers and to ensure that buses are at the forefront of transport planning in all sorts of scenarios.  He has developed a lot of local knowledge inside and outside the industry. But first and foremost, Richard uses his own buses to get to and from his different offices, and still drives them too.

Richard Tyldsley

Richard Tyldsley is the General Manager for Go South Coast companies - Bluestar, Southern Vectis, Unilink, Damory, and Excelsior - overseeing both operational and commercial performance. He joined Go South Coast in 2016 and brings 21 years of experience in the bus industry, having previously worked with other successful bus operators. Richard began his career as a driver and operational supervisor before progressing into management, giving him a strong, hands-on understanding of frontline operations.

Passionate about delivering excellent customer service, Richard is committed to ensuring passengers receive the highest standards of care and reliability. He values the contributions of his teams and places great importance on understanding the challenges they face in their day-to-day work.

Beyond internal leadership, Richard is dedicated to building strong relationships with local stakeholders. He works closely with councils, community groups, and business leaders to achieve shared objectives and deliver sustainable, reliable transport solutions. His approach combines operational expertise with a people-focused outlook, ensuring Go South Coast companies continue to serve their communities with professionalism, innovation, and integrity.

Nikki Honer

Nikki Honer is passionate about the bus industry and is keen to encourage as many people to use the bus as possible.

Nikki enjoys working with her team to produce fun, eye-catching marketing campaigns using a variety of channels to teach and influence people to use the bus for local journeys.  Whether that be for commuting, education, or leisure.  She recognises that our bus services play an essential role in the communities we serve and wants to ensure their longevity.

Nikki believes collaborating with stakeholders is vital to help spread the word of how convenient the bus can be.  She knows our product is industry leading and loves the challenge to convince people to get on board whilst keeping a tight eye on the budget.  With over 35 years’ experience in the bus industry, she thrives on trying and marketing new products to enhance the customer experience.

Nicola Friend

Nicola joined Go South Coast in January 2023 as HR Business Partner. Prior to this, she worked as a Business Analyst at Teachers Assurance, a Financial Services Mutual supporting the education sector.

Her transition into HR began after joining the Staff Association, where she successfully redeveloped internal collaboration between management and employees. She became HR Manager in 2009, earning a CIPD Level 5 qualification in 2010 and a Master’s in Management with Human Resources in 2012.

Following the acquisition of Teachers Assurance, Nicola pursued Head of HR roles across industries including Engineering and Recycling, gaining experience across diverse teams and locations.

At Go South Coast, she’s built strong professional relationships through a supportive, holistic approach—guiding managers to lead effectively. Her expertise spans all HR generalist functions, including employee relations, engagement, learning and development, and HR systems.

She has implemented a successful management training programme, improved HR systems and documentation, and contributed to several Group projects.

Outside of work, Nicola is an avid reader and enjoys travelling whenever possible.

Nick Small

Nick Small joined Go South Coast from Stagecoach in May 2023, bringing over a decade of experience in the bus industry. He plays a pivotal role in connecting transport operators with stakeholders in the development sector, particularly in southern England where housing pressures are most acute.

Nick represents both Go South Coast and Oxford Bus Group, and occasionally supports other Go-Ahead operating divisions.

His career spans local government and residential development, with national involvement in low- and zero-carbon housing, including intensive work with the Zero-Carbon Hub from 2007 to 2013. In the bus sector, Nick has led innovative projects such as county-wide DRT services in Northamptonshire and bespoke transport solutions for University Technical Colleges.

He authored the award-winning “Buses and New Residential Developments” guidance, first published by Stagecoach in 2017 and jointly updated by Go-Ahead and Stagecoach in 2025. Recognised nationally as a thought leader, Nick regularly presents at major industry events including UKREIIF and the Annual Quality Bus Conference. His pragmatic, informed approach has enabled the successful delivery of commercially sustainable, developer-funded bus services across a wide range of developments.