GB Railfreight chief to lead parent group

John Smith, managing director of GB Railfreight has been named chief executive of parent company Hector Rail Group.

Hector Rail, the Swedish independent train haulage provider, bought GBRf in 2016. Chiarman Bo Lerenius, Hector Rail, said: “With a solid background of developing and growing companies, John Smith has full insight of the challenges and opportunities that Hector Rail Group currently faces. The board is confident that John’s clear customer perspective and strong leadership will drive Hector Rail Group to become the leading independent pan-European rail freight operator.”

Smith, who founded GB Railfreight in 1999, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to build on what we started with GBRf, and to bring the knowledge that I have gained to our parent company. I plan to take that knowledge to Hector Rail, to continue to demonstrate the importance of rail freight in sustainable economic growth. I feel there are significant opportunities at closer co-operation between the operators across Europe, and I hope to be the voice for that effort.”