AusRAIL, Market Sectors

QR chief resigns to join QR National

The shock announcement last week that Queensland Rail (QR) CEO Paul Scurrah will resign to join QR National would come as quite a blow for QR. Scurrah has driven an incredibly strong culture of customer service throughout the organisation and under his leadership, QR is officially now the only public transport company in the world to be certified under the International Customer Service Standard.

By Jennifer Perry

Scurrah was also recently awarded CEO of the Year at the Customer Service Institute of Australia (CSIA) Awards.

Upon announcing Scurrah’s appointment at QR National last Thursday at AusRAIL PLUS 2011, chief executive Lance Hockridge said the company was “truly exited” to have him on board.

“We all know and respect the fantastic job that Paul has been doing at QR in recent years and the accolades that he has received, particularly as CEO of the Year just a couple of weeks ago,” Hockridge said.

QR chairman Stephen Gregg praised the significant work Scurrah delivered as the organisation’s chief executive.

“In conjunction with the QR Board, Paul has led the executive team in delivering first class results for Queensland Rail Limited since the complex and challenging separation from QR Limited – the largest in Australian corporate history – through to the new vibrant, customer focused organisation we have today,” Gregg said.

“Under Paul’s leadership, Queensland Rail has been recognised widely for its performance, particularly in its customer service focus and delivery. Customer satisfaction has achieved an all time high rating and will continue to be the driving factor for Queensland Rail.

“While this is a loss to our organisation, the Board would like to publicly acknowledge Paul’s stewardship in putting in place the corporate structure, the leadership team and the focus on safety and customer service which will form the foundation for QR’s future success.”

Gregg said that an executive recruitment process was already underway for a replacement.

In the meantime, QR chief financial officer, Jim Benstead would assume the role of acting chief executive officer. Benstead has played a key role in QR’s leadership since the company’s inception, Gregg said, adding that he would be supported by an outstanding executive leadership team and had a “talented and committed workforce”.

Scurrah’s resignation at QR is effective as of December 2.

For an in-depth profile of Paul Scurrah see the March 2012 print edition of Rail Express .