Chris Burchell, Managing Director, Southern

Chris Burchell, Managing Director, Southern

Chris Burchell, Managing Director, Southern

At just 32 years of age, Burchell became the country’s youngest train company managing director when he took charge at Go Ahead’s Southern franchise. His youth led one minister to ask him if his previous job had been as a school prefect! After four years in the job, however, he is recognised as one of the industry’s brightest young talents.

Burchell wanted to be a diplomat but he failed to get into the Foreign Office after leaving university. Instead he joined Railtrack as a...