Zoe Hands in

Zoe Hands

Commander · DISC type D
Managing Director - First Bus Franchising at First Bus
📍 Burton Upon Trent, England, United Kingdom

Zoe Hands is the Managing Director for First Bus Franchising, with P&L accountability for businesses worth £270m. A Chartered health and safety professional with an MSc from the University of Nottingham, she focuses on data-led insights and employee empowerment to deliver results. Colleagues describe her as practical, proactive, and pragmatic.

Outside of her direct operational duties, Zoe is passionate about the positive impact her organization has on local communities. She is interested in high-level business and leadership strategies, following publications like the Harvard Business Review for insights.

Unique fact: Zoe was seconded to the Middle East to write the health, safety, and security strategy for the new $22 billion Riyadh Metro program.

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Experience
19 Years
Current Role
Managing Director - First Bus Franchising
Job Level
Mid-senior
Location
Burton Upon Trent, England, United Kingdom
Personality Overview

How Zoe shows up

Risk-Taker
Candid & Clear
Decisive

They put a lot of effort into ensuring personal success. They respond better to strong and respectful interactions. They prefer to move quickly, and expect the same from others.

Priorities

Topics Zoe cares about

Bus Franchising
Her current role involves leading all First Bus businesses in the UK's newly franchising markets, a strategic area she is personally excited to helm.
Employee Empowerment
Values combining data-led insight with employee empowerment and simplified processes to create a sense of mission and accomplishment for her teams.
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Career

Work history

3-2026
Managing Director - First Bus Franchising
First Bus
7-2023 - 3-2026
Managing Director (Midlands, Manchester & South Yorkshire)
First Bus
3-2020 - 7-2023
Chief Operating Officer
Merseyrail
12-2017 - 3-2020
Operations Director
Merseyrail
8-2016 - 10-2016
HSSEQ Director (Middle East Secondment)
Serco
In the press

Media appearances

First Bus appoints Zoe Hands as Managing Director of Manchester, Midlands & South Yorkshire business. Featured in First Bus UK News
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New leadership team in place at First Bus. Featured in First Bus UK News
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Education
MSc
University of Nottingham
Social presence
in
Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

D

Dominance (D)

Dominance (D) reflects how goal and task oriented a person is, and their ability to accomplish results irrespective of how demanding the circumstances might be. Those scoring high tend to be motivated by winning, competition, and success.

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