Claire Gilmartin, outgoing CEO of Trainline
Trainline has announced that Clare Gilmartin will be stepping
down as CEO at the end of February 2021 to “spend more time with her family”.
Gilmartin, who led the company’s £1.7 billion IPO in 2019, will
be succeeded by Trainline’s chief operating officer Jody Ford. Ford was previously
CEO at Photobox Group and also worked for online auction site eBay.
Gilmartin said: "The decision to step down next year is a
personal one; after seven years at the helm the time has come for me to spend
more time with my family. I am immensely proud of our progress over the
last several years - including driving the advancement of digital ticketing and
the customer shift online, our international expansion and our track record for
meeting and exceeding expectations, particularly in our first year as a public
company. I work alongside an amazing team, who I know will continue this
strong performance, innovating for customers and driving growth for the
industry."
Brian
McBride, chair of Trainline, said: "I would like to thank Clare for her
outstanding leadership during her time as our CEO. During her
tenure, she has led the business through a period of rapid growth and expansion
across Europe and steered the company through a successful IPO.
Ford said of his appointment: "I joined Trainline because I
believe it is a tech innovator with huge growth potential and a purpose that is
central to its business: to encourage greener travel choices. I am very much
looking forward to bringing my digital experience to bear as CEO and continuing
Trainline's focus on working with the rail and coach industry to make travel as
easy and friction-free as possible for millions of customers in Europe and
beyond."
McBride added: "I am delighted to welcome Jody into his
role as chief executive. Since he joined, I have been impressed by his clear
leadership and his focus on improving customer experience to deliver
performance. I am looking forward to continuing to work with Jody and the team
to achieve our long-term growth plan."
Gilmartin will remain involved in Trainline as a senior advisor
but will also step down from the board.