Over the last few months, we’ve had a few new starters join the team. However, we’d like to reintroduce you to all of Team TPS too. Each month, one of us will be answering a few short questions about our role and what we like to do outside of work.
To kick us off, we have Rob Bettison in the spotlight…
What is your role at TPS and how long have you been here?
I’m one of the directors here at TPS, leading on many of our major travel plan programmes and having a day-to-day role in the management of the company. I also specialise in the work we do in the Higher Education and NHS sectors, working with clients to explore the environmental impact of their travel and contributing to the development of Carbon Management Plans.
I joined from a Travel Planner role at The University of Sheffield in 2008 – so this year is my 15th anniversary.
What do you get up to on a typical day at work?
Well I’m probably a bit unique at TPS in that I am typically out and about quite a lot. From client meetings and engagement/consultation events I tend to be up and down the country (and often over the water to Dublin and Belfast). When in the office I tend to be annoying other members of the team for help (usually with Microsoft Excel) or locking myself away to prepare transport strategies for one of our many Higher Education clients. I also spend a lot of my time managing bus service contracts on behalf our or residential developer clients as well as forming part of the Senior Management Team at TPS dealing with the day to day challenges and opportunities that come with our continued growth and success.
Tell us something that your connections might be interested to know about you?
In a work related context – I’m considered to be a bit of a bus nerd by others in the office. I’m not sure this is true but I will admit there was a point where I knew most (OK all) of the service numbers and destinations in South Yorkshire. Outside of work I was active in local politics for a long time and more recently have been on the board of governors at my children’s Junior School – taking on the role of Chair for a few years. This make me sound really boring… so to balance I worked down a cave for 7 years and was once on Calendar News playing recorder at Leeds Town Hall (in around 1987).
What’s your favourite thing to have worked on in the last month?
We have lots of interesting and varied projects to choose from! Recently I’ve been working with Queen’s University Belfast to develop a new Travel Plan Strategy and that’s involved working closely with the team working on their Net Zero Strategy which has been really interesting.
How do you wind down out of work?
Outside of work we don’t get much chance to wind down….balancing the logistics of 5 kids (some of the time), a puppy that doesn’t like to sleep much and a desire to not let my Leeds United season ticket go to waste keeps me busy. We do try to get away when we have the odd free weekend and also enjoy a night out – albeit this tends to be the local micro brewery, the days of a night out in the big city are a distant memory. Should I have said I like to read and cook?
Would you like to be part of Team TPS? We currently have a role within our Development Planning team. Find out more and apply today.