Public transport can have a love-hate relationship with the public, but when you consider the cogs involved to maintain a smooth transition, for corporation and customers alike, you realise the heavy responsibility and work involved. The UK rail services have not had the best welcome into 2017, with high profile strikes continuing to make national headlines.
Nevertheless, the UK’s only high speed rail network High Speed 1 – serving Eurostar and Southeastern and linking London’s St Pancras International to Kent and the continent – was reported last year as ‘exceeding expectations’ in its performance. So, what goes on behind the closed doors of a heavily relied on rail service? Luckily, this month, we have the pleasure of speaking with the General Counsel and Company Secretary of HS1 Ltd, the company that own and operate the high speed line and the stations along it, who reveals the work behind the international and domestic rail service.
You overview a variety of issues and sectors at HS1 Ltd, how do you keep on top of the range of legal issues you have to be aware of?
There are a number of ways in which I do this. I am part of the senior management team at HS1 Ltd and we start every week with a meeting where we discuss the whole range of issues affecting the business. I then feed this information back to my team. This gives me a solid basis for the legal issues I need to be focused on in any particular week. More generally though, I work in an open plan environment and this makes it very easy to have regular dialogue with the team, facilitating information sharing and allows me to have a clear awareness of all the legal issues affecting the business. I also have a more formal one-to-one session with each team member every week; it’s a perfect opportunity for me to ask a lot of questions!
What does a day in your shoes as General Counsel look like? In your opinion, what is the most interesting aspect of your role?
A day in my shoes goes by very quickly: fast and exciting. Inevitably I have a number of meetings, then time to digest information, deal with correspondence and talk to my team. I really do have the most interesting issues passing across my desk on a daily basis. From risk management, regulatory issues, financing and shareholder matters, to abandoned horses left on our land and the Christmas tree or Terrace Wires art installation at St Pancras International. There is rarely a moment to be bored. The most interesting aspect for me is the variety of what I do, both legal and non-legal.
What inspired you to take the path into becoming General Counsel for HS1 Ltd?
Before moving to HS1 Ltd I had been spending quite a bit of time traveling to London for work. Each time I arrived at St Pancras I was bowled over by the stunning architecture and stature of the station. I then saw an advert for the role at the company. I did my research and was excited by the thought of working for the UK’s only high speed rail network, not just as a lawyer but as part of the management team. I knew this would give me the opportunity to use a number of my other skills, and develop new ones, to help run the business. I decided very quickly that it was the job for me and relocated to London. It’s been one of the best decisions I ever made - and I get to see St Pancras every day!
How did your perception of HS1 Ltd change once you began working there? What did you find unexpectedly challenging?
My perception of HS1 Ltd changed very quickly once I began working there. As I got to understand the business more and more, I understood that the people on the team were very much at the heart of its success. These people are experts who really care about the level of service they deliver. HS1 Ltd is like a family – it’s a great environment to work in.
What has been the most challenging task during your time at HS1 Ltd so far, and how did you overcome the challenge posed?
I’ve been involved in some really challenging legal work at HS1 Ltd so far, but probably the most challenging task has been people management and being responsible for such a diverse number of functions across the business. Bringing together a varied range of professionals (lawyers and non-lawyers e.g. procurement experts, town planners, property surveyors), who are experts in their field, and integrating them into the fantastic team we now are has been a privilege, but also very challenging along the way.
What issues do you face managing the development of grade 1 listed buildings (such as St Pancras International), which need to remain progressive for public’s demands and requirements?
The constant challenge here is achieving balance. The balance between helping the business achieve its commercial aims and protecting St Pancras, both in terms of heritage and also reputationally, can at times be very delicate. Luckily, I work with a very experienced heritage advisor and she is brilliant at helping us maintain this balance.
HS1 was reported as ‘exceeding expectations’ in regards to their performance earlier last year; what behind the scenes work do you do, to ensure this is met – for the company itself, and the public?
We have a hugely dedicated team at HS1 Ltd and I believe, along with the rest of the senior management team, that it is our duty to be transparent with them, keeping them involved in the big decisions. Everyone takes pride in what they do because, quite simply, we want to be the world’s leading high speed railway. Our whole team was directly involved in setting the strategy for HS1, so they live and breathe its essence through their work. Putting the customer at the heart of everything we do is vitally important to us.
As HS1 deals with international connections, what extra considerations do you undergo to ensure the company heads in the right direction to tend to these international needs?
It’s been fantastic to see Eurostar grow its routes to the South of France, and we’re all really looking forward to the new route to Amsterdam opening later this year. Launching a new international rail service is of course both expensive and complex – complications include, for example, the different border and security arrangements that exist in Europe, including those between the UK and the Schengen area. We work really closely with Eurostar and as a business we are committed to ensuring that we support them where we can – in regulatory terms or otherwise.
When directing and managing teams to make the best legal decision in regards to planning and environment, what do these teams often dismiss as a vital legal consideration to undertake? Are there any regulations in regards to environment which has heavily affected your work?
I am lucky enough to work with a number of experts who look after HS1’s environmental and planning work. My role here is to oversee strategy in dealing with these issues, helping the team understand regulations and supporting them as they develop practical outputs.
Our efforts in these areas have been recognised by experts in the field. The line has been awarded the Wildlife Trust Biodiversity Benchmark Award each year since 2012, and in 2014 HS1 Ltd won the European Rail Congress Sustainability Award.
Finally, do you have a ‘golden nugget’ of advice for General Counsel’s around the globe?
My golden nugget is “never limit yourself” in terms of what you think you can do. I have been very fortunate in having a CEO who saw my potential and gave me the opportunity to grow, hence why I now have much wider responsibility than just the legal function. I spoke last year at a conference about GC’s becoming business partners and my focus was on transferability of skills. Too many lawyers think that they can only work in one sector, but I firmly believe if you have all the core skills as a lawyer there is no reason why you can’t move sectors – the learning curve may just be the fresh challenge you need.
