Steven Ottley

Steven Ottley started his transport career as a bus inspector in London back in 1988, before Arriva, then called Cowies, acquired contracts for some of the capital's bus services.

Since then, Steven has moved north to work for Arriva in Yorkshire . His first role was as operations manager of the company's Castleford depot.

He says: "That was a challenging time for me. I'd moved away from the area I'd known so well and I worked hard to show and give the team at Castleford my time and respect. In turn, I received the same from them, and that helped to move us forward."

He now manages all the operations of Arriva's Dewsbury depot, including monitoring and controlling wages, managing absence and interviews.

Steven is keen to ensure that his team know, and understand, Arriva's business objectives. "Wherever I've worked in the company, there has always been the opportunity to voice my opinion and give my view, and that's important. If people know what our objectives are, they are better able to help us reach them. That's why I like to have a good working environment for people."

Steven has taken part in a number of training courses to help him in his career. From inspector training in London to specialist employment law and health and safety courses.

"I enjoy the opportunities you get here", he says. "The opportunity to learn is great for enhancing the knowledge I have for the business, while at the same time, I grow my skills."

Amongst his greatest achievements to date, Steven counts his introduction of a training programme for all Arriva Yorkshire inspectors, and his contribution to the Dewsbury depot achieving Investors in People status.

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