Marketing director latest to join exodus from Lothian Buses

Published on Wednesday 5 January 2011 16:27

A SENIOR executive at Edinburgh's main bus company has been made redundant, the latest in a string of high-profile departures from the firm.

It emerged yesterday that Lothian Buses marketing director Iain Coupar has left after being told he was being made redundant just before Christmas.

His departure has come just weeks after the controversial appointment of business leader Ron Hewitt as the company's chairman and amid mounting concern over a planned merger between Lothian Buses and the city council's tram firm, Tie.

However, The Scotsman understands that Mr Coupar's departure is part of a move by the managing director, Ian Craig, to stamp his authority on the firm, which is majority owned by the City of Edinburgh Council.

Mr Coupar, a board director of the company for the past 11 years, was said to have fallen out of favour with Mr Craig in recent months over the firm's marketing and PR strategies. The company won a string of marketing awards during Mr Coupar's tenure and he was behind successful campaigns fronted by radio presenter Grant Stott.

However, an Edinburgh-based public relations company, Liberty & Cole, best known for its work with fashion and lifestyle companies, was brought in by Mr Craig and is now in charge of promotional and PR work.

One insider said: "It is fair to say Iain Coupar did not agree with many of Ian Craig's marketing ideas. There's no more to be read into this than that."

A spokesman for Lothian Buses said: "The company's long-standing marketing director, Iain Coupar, has stepped down. Iain has been with Lothian Buses since 1999 and has played a key part, along with the executive and senior management team, in reshaping the company into what it is today."

Mr Craig said: "Along with my colleagues, I must thank Iain for his commitment and dedication towards over the past 11 years."

Mr Coupar, a former marketing manager at Stagecoach, had been a close ally of the firm's previous chief executive, Neil Renilson, who announced he was standing down in October 2008, despite having been put in charge of integrating buses and trams in the capital. Mr Coupar was last night unavailable for comment.

One insider said that Mr Coupar was seen by Mr Craig as part of Mr Renilson's "old guard" and did not fit in with the new regime.

Former long-standing chairman Pilmar Smith claimed he was forced to step down a year ago to make way for David Mackay, who became chair of both Lothian Buses and tram firm Tie.