Ed Wilson Email & Phone Number

London, England, United Kingdom

Working as part of the CEO Office, I advise the CEO and Executive on strategic and stakeholder issues, with a focus on the industry reform process. Specifically:a) Supporting the Executive and Senior Leadership Group to build, manage and develop effective relationships with key stakeholders;b) Supporting and challenging the whole organisation to improve its communication and engagement; andc) Working with RDG’s Communications team to promote industry successes.I am part of the organisation's Senior Leadership Group.

London, England, United Kingdom

After my initial interim contract ended in July 2019, I was asked to remain with RDG to:a) provide strategic, political and policy advice in relation to rail reform, the ongoing Williams Rail Review and the forthcoming Rail White Paper; andb) work in partnership with RDG colleagues and others from across the industry on developing a long-term strategy to address key workforce issues affecting the sector, including diversity & inclusion; skills; industry leadership; and the relationship with the key trade unions.

London, England, United Kingdom

Overall responsibility for RDG’s political, government and stakeholder engagement, including day to day liaison with the ministers and officials at the Department for Transport and across government; political party conferences and the wider events programme.Key areas of focus included the Williams Rail Review into franchising; reform of rail fares and ticketing regulations; and addressing Labour Party proposals for renationalisation.

Having set up my own small company to undertake freelance, interim, contract and consultancy work, I worked with a number of clients, but principally on two projects with HS2 Ltd:a) to undertake a full review and make recommendations related to its public affairs / stakeholder engagement strategy and execution (November 2015 to June 2016); andb) to develop a stakeholder engagement plan to secure cross-party Parliamentary support for the Phase 2A (Birmingham to Crewe) Hybrid Bill (December 2016 to July 2017).

Overall responsibility for Network Rail’s public affairs and political strategies and activities.Advising the Chairman, Chief Executive and other senior directors on political, stakeholder and wider policy issues and developments.Supporting the Chief Executive and the Group Strategy Director in their management of the relationship with the Secretary of State and other ministers.Lead responsibility for relationships with:> political stakeholders including the special advisers, opposition transport teams, members of the Transport Select Committee and the Mayor of London’s team;> communications and public affairs colleagues at the Rail Delivery Group, the Office of Rail and Road and other industry organisations.Managing the Chief Executive’s appearances before the Transport and Public Accounts Committees.Coordinating day to day liaison with the Department for Transport on ministerial enquiries and visits and Parliamentary debates and questions.Overseeing company’s lobbying on metal theft, leading to the Scrap Metal Dealers’ Act 2013, which has saved Network Rail millions of pounds in costs since it came into force.Writing speeches on behalf of the Chairman, Chief Executive and other senior directors.Overseeing Network Rail’s corporate market research programme.Led a department-wide reorganisation, including developing a new organisational structure, seeking all necessary executive and financial approvals, and leading consultation with the trades unions.

Working with the Director, Corporate Communications to support the development of a new corporate communications strategy.Providing overall strategic direction and leadership for the key external relations disciplines – media relations, public affairs and contact & communities (public and community contact and engagement). Providing strategic communications advice to the Chairman, Chief Executive and other senior directors.Overall responsibility for the development of the major incident communications plan, including review and testing of that plan.Leading the department’s business planning, budgeting and governance framework, including oversight of a five-year budget of c.£75 million.

Acting up, at the request of the Chief Executive, for the seven weeks between the previous Director, Corporate Communications leaving and his successor arriving in post.Key focus was fallout from the storms of early 2014, including the Chief Executive’s appearance before the Transport Select Committee and the reopening of the railway at Dawlish in Devon with an event featuring the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Transport.Member of company’s executive committee.

London, England, United Kingdom

Overall responsibility for Network Rail’s public affairs and political strategies and activities.Advising the Chairman, Chief Executive and other senior directors on political, stakeholder and wider policy issues and developments.Supporting the Chief Executive and the Group Strategy Director in their management of the relationship with the Secretary of State and other ministers.Lead responsibility for relationships with:> political stakeholders including the special advisers, opposition transport teams, members of the Transport Select Committee and the Mayor of London’s team;> communications and public affairs colleagues at the Rail Delivery Group, the Office of Rail and Road and other industry organisations.Managing the Chief Executive’s appearances before the Transport and Public Accounts Committees.Coordinating day to day liaison with the Department for Transport on ministerial enquiries and visits and Parliamentary debates and questions.Overseeing company’s lobbying on metal theft, leading to the Scrap Metal Dealers’ Act 2013, which has saved Network Rail millions of pounds in costs since it came into force.Writing speeches on behalf of the Chairman, Chief Executive and other senior directors.Overseeing Network Rail’s corporate market research programme.Led a department-wide reorganisation, including developing a new organisational structure, seeking all necessary executive and financial approvals, and leading consultation with the trades unions.

Working as a member of the team that I then went on to manage.Managing Network Rail’s appearances at Transport Select Committee inquiries into the Rail White Paper, the 2008 New Year engineering overruns and freight policy.

Managed relationships with MPs, MEPs, and senior civil servants at both national and European level.Developed policy and key messages in areas including energy price rises, competition policy, smart meters and the issues faced by small businesses in the energy market.Select Committee work including the Trade and Industry Select Committee inquiry into rising energy prices and the Public Accounts Committee’s hearing into energywatch itself.

Bachelor'S Degree, History, 2:1

English, French And History

Education record