Euclid has had the pleasure of working closely with Michael over the past 10 years: we never cease to be amazed by his knowledge on transport matters and his in-depth understanding of ITSO. To take what is a complex subject and vocalise it in a manner that can be comprehended by the most unaware layman takes real skill. Not just that, but Michael is a really easy person to get on with, he thinks things through, not just coming up with novel ideas but also suggestions supporting how they can best be implemented. Without doubt our industry benefits so much from both his personality and skillset”. .
Geoff Neal Managing Director. Euclid Ltd
I have worked with Michael for several years where he has, and continues, to provide Transport for Wales with specialist expertise and guidance around our development, specification and implementation of integrated transport, contactless payments and smart account-based ticketing. As well as his encyclopaedic knowledge and experience of smart ticketing Michel brings warmth, humour, honesty and more often than not a colourful shirt to every meeting that he attends be that with internal stakeholders, suppliers or bus operators. His deep passion for customer experience, diversity and equality ensures that we have remained fully grounded in the reality of too whom and what we are delivering in a deeply technical area of public transport much of which is constantly pushing the boundaries of what has been done before. Michael regularly attends events and meetings on our behalf and can be trusted to effectively and objectively represent our views no matter who the audience is, but equally we know that he is highly respected across the entire smart ticketing community and that those views will also be reflecting those of other authorities and stakeholders. I would recommend Michael to anyone who is seeking honest and objective advice in the field of smart fares and ticketing and look forward to his continued support in Wales as we push our own boundaries in this field.
Ian Robinson, Development Lead for Fares, Ticketing and Revenue Modelling (Bus), Transport for Wales
During my years as CEO for ITSO Limited I had many Interactions with Michael and was always impressed with his understanding of public transport and smart ticketing. His encyclopaedic knowledge was mirrored with an enthusiasm to implement innovative solutions that would benefit both transport operators and the travelling public. Michael was also acutely aware of what type of solutions would work for local authorities where budgets were often constrained. Another benefit of working with Michael is his great sense of humour, which always helps projects along. Even though Michael and I no longer work in the same field, we are still in touch due to our shared love of railway travel and steam engines. The attached picture is probably how people will remember me and it's one of my favourites, because I was just about to tuck into a clotted cream tea at Fowey, Cornwall. Sadly, my hair has much more grey now, but that's just what happens as we get older!
Steve Wakeland