Volvo Buses

UNITED KINGDOM & IRELAND

Adrian ‘bows out’ at Coach & Bus Live 2015

Volvo Bus personnel will be joined by industry colleagues and friends on stand A3 at 2.30pm on Wednesday 30 September to bid farewell to Adrian Wickens, who is set to retire on that day.
Adrian ‘bows out’ at Coach & Bus Live 2015

Volvo Bus Managing Director Nick Page will be raising a glass to Adrian, who is a highly respected and recognised figure within the UK bus industry. Having worked at Volvo Bus for some 42 years Adrian is also a former chairman of the SMMT Bus & Coach Section, having held the role for 10 years from 2004 – January 2015 and has also been heavily involved with the Low Carbon Vehicles partnership and the CPT Suppliers Group.

One of the most important changes for the bus industry during Adrian’s time has been the move to design ‘greener’ buses that will offer lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions. To this end, he has been involved in the development of more environmentally friendly vehicles including gas and more latterly, the hybrid and electric hybrid.

Reflecting on his time at Volvo Bus, Adrian said:  “I’ve seen many remarkable changes in the coach and bus industry.  It is interesting that I survived to tell the tale of deregulation and am leaving when the potential for reregulation is looming on the horizon, so things have almost gone full circle.  And of course, the adoption of more accessible and ever greener vehicles has been an exciting evolution to witness and be part of.

“It’s also been a privilege to be part of the expansion of Volvo Bus as a true global company with its growth into Eastern Europe, China and the Far East, India and North America, and I shall continue to closely follow the company and its fortunes in the future.”

“Above all, I met some wonderful people as this truly is a people industry”

Nick Page, Managing Director for Volvo Bus, added:  “Adrian will be greatly missed by everyone at Volvo Bus, along with many industry colleagues. He is a truly unique member of the team within the wider Volvo Group both at home and overseas”. 

“Is it fitting that we say goodbye to Adrian on the first day of a high profile event like Coach & Bus Live and I’m sure all the team at Volvo, as well as our industry friends and colleagues will join me in wishing him all the very best for a well deserved, long and happy retirement.”


ENDS

Note to editors: 

Additional information about Adrian Wickens

Adrian was originally from Old Windsor and grew up in Slough. He later attended University College London, where he gained his degree in mechanical engineering and stayed on to obtain a Masters in ergonomics.

Recruited to work on the B15 Titan, his career in the industry began with Park Royal Vehicles in London, then part of British Leyland, where he initially worked in the drawing office.

Some of Adrian’s key achievements include helping to design the upper saloon roof and upper saloon seating layout of the New York Atlantean double deckers that later made their way to San Francisco.  He also spent time at Volvo HQ in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he worked on a number of projects including the launch of the B12M/B12B coach range.

30 September 2015