New voice for ATOC

August 4th 2009

Edward Welsh joins ATOC as Director of Corporate Affairs this August.

Mr. Welsh is currently Programme Director for Media and Campaigns at the Local Government Association (LGA). Reporting to ATOC's Chief Executive Michael Roberts, Edward Welsh will lead its communications to enhance ATOC's role as an effective advocate for train companies.

Welsh is understood to have effectively stepped up communications at the LGA encouraging it to use national media and public campaigns more extensively to lobby on behalf of local government. In conjunction with councils across the country, he created and has led the first ever national press office for local government, which won PR Week's Public Sector Department of the Year Award in 2008.

Before working for the LGA, Mr. Welsh was Head of Media Relations of the London Assembly at the Greater London Authority. He is a professional journalist and has worked for the Times and the Sunday Times.

Says Michael Roberts,  ‘We are delighted with Edward's appointment. He has been a senior communicator for a membership body, keeping a wide range of organisations on board, often at the centre of complex, public policy issues and under an intense media spotlight.

Edward's achievements have been recognised within local government and more widely. We look forward to him making a significant impact in this priority area for ATOC and the train companies.'

Edward relishes his new role and said, ‘I am really excited to be joining ATOC and building on its first rate work to give the train companies a stronger voice. Railways have shaped and enriched Britain, and the train companies are playing a key part in helping to dig the nation out of recession. Working closely with them, I am eager to help the sector navigate successfully through these turbulent economic and political times.'

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