Northern has appointed a former Marks & Spencer executive as its new People Director.

Lisa Leighton from West Yorkshire will join Northern next Monday, 16th January. She has an extensive background in Human Resources (HR), and experience in telecommunications, financial services, and retail.

At Northern, Lisa will be responsible for employee relations and recruitment, the company’s industry-leading learning and talent programmes, and lead a renewed focus on overall employee experience and engagement.

When not working, Lisa is a listening volunteer for the suicide prevention charity Samaritans, which has a long association with the rail industry.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK and operates nearly 2,500 services a day to over 500 stations throughout the North of England. The company employs some 7,000 staff across the North of England, including drivers, conductors, engineers, customer service staff, and support personnel.

In December 2022, Northern introduced a new timetable. Anyone intending to travel, especially those who are used to making regular journeys on specific trains, should check the new ‘Check My Timetable‘ feature on Northern’s website to see changes to train schedules specific to their local station.

Commenting on her appointment, Nick Donovan, managing director of Northern, said: “Lisa has an impressive track record at developing inclusive organisational culture and we’re excited to add her extensive skills and experience to our leadership team.”

Lisa Leighton added: “The rail industry is going through a period of huge change and I look forward to working with colleagues at Northern to lead the way in the industry and build a new future for colleagues and customers.”