People

In his 33 years with Pelican, Chris has transitioned from his previous role at Seddon Atkinson sales to taking leadership of all aspects of Pelican’s aftersales and customer support operations. His extensive experience and dedication have played a pivotal role in upholding Pelican’s commitment to providing unparalleled service to our customers.

With 40 years of experience in the bus industry, Simon joins Pelican as Head of Engineering, bringing a wealth of technical expertise and senior leadership experience. Starting his career as an apprentice, he progressed through the industry to become Engineering Director at First West and North Yorkshire and, most recently, Engineering Director at Go North East. He is widely recognised for excellence in engineering leadership, having been named UK Bus Awards Engineer of the Year in 2013 and Route One Engineer of the Year in 2022. A people-focused leader, Simon is committed to teamwork, delivering results and building on Pelican’s outstanding reputation for customer service.

Julie joined Pelican Bus + Coach in 2023 as Customer Projects Manager, bringing many years of experience in the bus and coach industry. Working closely with operators, she supported vehicle orders and project delivery before being promoted to Business Sales Support Manager. In her current role, Julie will further drive and enhance the department as the business continues to grow across vehicle sales. She is well regarded for her professional, organised and customer-focused approach.

Vaughan oversees our field service technicians who maintain, repair, and service buses and coaches to maximise uptime for our customers. Vaughan’s extensive experience in the bus and coach industry combined with his passion for these vehicles ensures the smooth management and exceptional aftersales service our customers expect.

James has been with Pelican for 26 years and started as an apprentice. Highlights of his career include being the first engineer responsible for Yutong coaches in the UK and overseeing the introduction of the first Yutong electric bus to the UK market in 2016. He is currently our fleet engineer and also oversees our customer product training.

Richard joins Pelican Bus + Coach as Regional Service Manager for the South, bringing decades of engineering and leadership experience. He began his career as an apprentice with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, going onto complete a fully military career and finishing as a commissioned officer at the rank of Captain. After leaving the Army, Richard joined First Bus in 2006, holding a number of senior engineering roles and progressing to Engineering Director for First West of England and later First Wales & West. More recently, Richard has supported the introduction and testing of Yutong vehicles in the UK, further strengthening Pelican’s aftersales expertise.