Greater Anglia employee wins international Leader of the Year accolade

Published on: Tuesday, 16 April 2019
Last updated: Tuesday, 16 April 2019

A railway catering manager has received an international award for his leadership skills - after only 18 months in the job.

Michael Wyatt, Greater Anglia’s Business Manager – On Board Catering, from Norwich, was named Abellio ‘Leader of the Year’, out of 13,000 employees worldwide at an awards ceremony bringing together Abellio staff from across the UK and Europe.

He was given the accolade for turning round the fortunes of Greater Anglia’s on board catering team, successfully reinstating the at seat trolley service on the Norwich – London Intercity service after a 10 year absence.

He was also recognised for motivating his team to offer excellent customer service, bringing about improvements to the on board catering – such as introducing a popular new vegan range -, and often actively getting involved by jumping on board and helping customers and staff.

Michael, age 35, who has worked on the railway for 16 years but in his current position for just 18 months, said, “I was completely blown away to win on the night as there were so many great candidates.

“I’m really proud that the hard work of me and my team has been recognised and we look forward to continuing to serve customers with our range of refreshments from the trolley and at the café bar, and developing what we offer further to ensure that our customers are always delighted.”

Jamie Burles, Managing Director at Greater Anglia, said, “I am delighted that Michael has been recognised for his important contribution which has brought benefits to the business and customers.We know that we have colleagues all over the network making a difference to customers every day.

“Recognising individuals and teams at a group level through the Abellio Achievement Awards will help to further drive a culture of excellence in everything we do and demonstrates the dedication and commitment of all our staff to provide excellent service and performance to our customers.”