Northern has appointed Kerry Peters as its new regional director for Yorkshire, Humberside, and the East Midlands.

Kerry Peters has been appointed regional director for Northern in Yorkshire, Humberside and the East Midlands.

The current regional director is Tony Baxter, and he is leaving to become operations director at Chiltern Railways at the end of the summer when Kerry Peters will take up her new position.

Kerry Peters was born in Lancashire and lives in her new are at Sherburn in Elmet in North Yorkshire, where she is currently the Northern regional director for the North East. She is married to Ian and has one child, two step-children and a six-year-old grandchild.

After joining the rail industry as a catering stewardess for British Rail in 1994, Kerry eventually led the team responsible for training the onboard crew on the new Pendolino fleet.

In 2005, Kerry joined Virgin Cross Country as their customer service manager, before becoming a business manager with responsibility for Virgin Cross Country’s services in Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, and Newcastle.

She joined Northern in 2017 as head of trains and stations for the North East, and in 2020 was promoted to regional director.

Last year, Kerry was named on the Northern Power Women’s ‘Power List’ for her work in helping to accelerate gender equality in the North of England.

She is also one of the Rail Delivery Group’s steering group that aims to tackle sexual harassment in the industry.

Commenting on her new role, Kerry Peters said: “I look forward to joining the team in Leeds and working with them to ensure Northern continues to deliver for people across the region.

“As a Yorkshire adoptee, it’s great to be ‘coming home’ and helping contribute to the success of the region through its rail connectivity.

“I still have a few months in the North East and will be working hard to ensure a smooth transition to my successor – who will be inheriting a great team from Carlisle on the west to Whitby in the east.”

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer for Northern, said: “We’re delighted that Kerry will be taking the helm of our operations in Yorkshire, Humberside and the East Midlands.

“This role is responsible for a huge section of our network and Kerry’s experience in the North East, coupled with her local knowledge, made her the ideal candidate to lead the team going forward.”

Commenting on the departure of Tony Baxter, Tricia Williams added: “Tony has been a great ambassador for Northern in the region and his results-driven approach and relentless focus on customer service will be a huge asset to Chiltern Railways.”