Richard Davies joined hoppa as our new general manager in January. He is no stranger to the transport sector having worked his way up from a customer service representative on the front desk at Heathrow Hertz UK to UK country manager. 

To get to know Richard, we caught up with him during his first month in the job to ask him a few questions.

What are your first impressions of hoppa?

“l love it!”

“I love the passion that the whole team has for hoppa.”

What has surprised you most about hoppa?

“How much the staff care about delivering a high level of customer service and how proud they are to work for hoppa.”

What have you noticed as the biggest difference between the private and charity sector?
“It is much friendlier! Everyone I’ve met has been so much more open and supportive. I put this down to the reputation that staff have built for hoppa in terms of delivering such a high level of service in the community.”

What is your favourite thing about working in transport?

“Enabling people’s independence.”

“This was brought home to me when I snapped a tendon and was in a cast and not able to drive. When you can’t get around, you realise how important it is to have access to transport especially as without it, you can easily become isolated.”

What did you want to be when you were little?

“I wanted to work in the oil industry. I did a degree in geology but ended up following a different path.”

Who is your hero?

“Gareth Edwards. In my opinion, he is the best rugby player in the world, ever!”

If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?

“A long walk by the sea with my family and the dog followed by a pub lunch.”

What is your favourite sport to watch/play?
“I play golf and 5-a-side football. I enjoy watching rugby live and on the TV, and basketball which my daughter plays.”

What do you see as the key challenges in your new role?

“Maintaining and growing the services with decreasing levels of funding and increasing costs.”

Why did you choose hoppa?

“It was an opportunity to do something more local and that gave back to the community.”

“I like the structure and working alongside a supportive board of trustees, management team and wider staff team.”