Iain Coucher
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2011) |
Iain Michael Coucher (born 22 August 1961, St Albans, Hertfordshire) is a former chief executive of Network Rail.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
He was brought up in Doncaster and Leeds, where his father, Brian, worked for the electricity generating board. He originally wanted to be an RAF pilot.
Coucher attended Ashville College, a boarding school in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. He boarded in Windermere House - part of Mallinson. Coucher was a good tennis player and represented the school tennis team.
After leaving Ashville in 1979, he attended Imperial College, London where he studied Aeronautical engineering (1979–1982), gaining a BSc.[1] Later he completed an MBA at Henley Management College (now called Henley Business School and part of the University of Reading).
[edit] Career
He started his working life as an air-to-ground missile designer for Hunting Engineering from 1982 (since 2001 known as INSYS), before moving into IT services with the American consultancy group EDS [2] in 1985 which led to working on the Oyster card.
[edit] Network Rail
He became Chief Executive in July 2007 following the retirement of Chief Executive John Armitt. Previously, he was Chief Executive of Tube Lines from 1999–2001, one of the infrastructure companies under the London Underground public private partnership. He became Managing Director of Network Rail in 2002.
Network Rail paid Coucher an annual salary of £613,000.[3]
He announced on 17 June 2010 that he would step down as Chief Executive of Network Rail stating that this was for personal reasons. He remained in situe while his successor was sought. Coucher officially left Network Rail on 29 October 2010. His successor, David Higgins, started on 1 February 2011. [4]
He has recently been the subject of controversy regarding his management techniques and there has been in the past an internal examination by Network Rail of financial impropriety and bullying of Network Rail staff due to exposure by national newspapers and the Transport Salaried Staff Association (TSSA). Currently, as at 29 January 2011, an independent enquiry headed by Anthony White QC will further examine these claims. This has been agreed to by his former employer and TSSA.[5][6]
[edit] Personal life
Married with a son (born February 1995) and daughter (born June 1998), Coucher lives in Daventry, Northamptonshire and lists his car as an Aston Martin DB9. He married Tanya Nightingale in July 1993 in North Yorkshire Executive. He was previously married. He enjoys cycling and birdwatching.
[edit] References
- ^ Andy Milne talks to Iain Coucher 18 January 2006, www.railwaypeople.com
- ^ Peddling the railways 22 July 2007 , interview:Andrew Davidson , business.timesonline.co.uk
- ^ "Executive Directors' reward package" (PDF). Network Rail Infrastructure Limited Annual Report and Accounts 2009. Network Rail. 31 March 2009. p. 30. http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/annual%20report%20and%20accounts/network%20rail%20infrastructure%20limited%20annual%20report%20and%20accounts%202009.pdf. Retrieved 16 August 2009.
- ^ http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/10309.aspx
- ^ Hough, Andrew (28 January 2011). "Network Rail: inquiry launched into 'misuse of public funds and illicit payments'". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/8287674/Network-Rail-inquiry-launched-into-misuse-of-public-funds-and-illicit-payments.html.
- ^ http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1dcf5bba-d6fe-11df-aaab-00144feabdc0,s01=1.html#axzz1E7DUYExM
