Edinburgh Lothian Buses director salary agreed at £180,000 a year - more than Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

Lothian Buses director will be paid more than PM – but less than her predecessor
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Big pay packets have been approved for top bosses at Lothian Buses.

The city's transport committee endorsed the appointment of two new directors to the board of the council-owned company and rubber-stamped the remuneration levels for all four of its executive directors. Interim managing director Sarah Boyd will have an annual salary of £180,000 – more than the Prime Minister, but less than the total pay package received by the previous interim managing director Nigel Serafini.

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In July it was revealed he had been given a £33,000 pay rise last year plus a £26,000 bonus, taking his overall remuneration to £186,000 and it is understood that increased further before he left in August. Ms Boyd’s salary is also less than Edinburgh Trams managing director Lea Harrison is paid, despite Lothian Buses being a much bigger operation. She has said she will not be taking any bonus.

Interim managing director Sarah Boyd will be paid £180,000 a year - less than her predecessor in the post.Interim managing director Sarah Boyd will be paid £180,000 a year - less than her predecessor in the post.
Interim managing director Sarah Boyd will be paid £180,000 a year - less than her predecessor in the post.

Among the bus company’s other executive directors, finance director John Benson gets a pay rise from £133,488 to £139,710 a year in recognition of his additional role and responsibilities as Company Secretary.

Colin Barnes will take up the post of engineering director in January 2023, following the retirement of the previous postholder and an extensive recruitment process. He will be paid £135,000 a year, which Lothian Buses says reflects the competitive bus industry market for engineering directors. And Willie Hamilton has been appointed acting operations director with remuneration of £114,000 a year.

‘The best quality of candidates’

Transport convener Scott Arthur said: "Lothian Buses is at the heart of our success as a capital city, and will play a key part in our transition to a more sustainable transport system. It is therefore only right that Lothian Buses is able to attract the best quality of candidates at all levels, and has processes in place to nurture talent within the organisation.

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“Sarah Boyd has led the company as we transition out of the pandemic. As operations director she was instrumental in ensuring that Lothian Buses kept key workers moving around Edinburgh during lockdown. I have huge respect for her leadership and I know her advice is respected within the Scottish Government and the wider public transport industry.

"While I’m never comfortable seeing these salary levels, I understand that Sarah’s revised salary level on being appointed interim managing director was determined by Lothian Buses’ Remuneration Committee who were guided by industry comparable independent benchmarking. I note that the actual remuneration package is slightly less than that paid to her predecessor and, to her credit Sarah, has waived her entitlement to be considered for a future performance bonus despite it being a contractual entitlement."