Richard Bowker (British businessman)

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Richard Bowker CBE is currently Chief executive officer of National Express Group^[1]. He attended Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn, read Economics at Leicester University, and played as a professional session pianist for a year, after which he joined the London Underground as a Graduate Finance Trainee in 1989; in the course of his work with the Underground, he is credited with the launch of a new leasing system for trains in 1997^[2].

Bowker was appointed co-Chairman of Virgin Trains in 1997 & Commercial Director for the transport sector of the Virgin Group. He has also founded the transport consultancy Quasar Associated.

In 2001 he was appointed chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority^[3], & in the 2004 New Year's Honours List, he was appointed CBE^[4]. In 2006, he was appointed CEO of National Express Group PLC.

Bowker is a chartered management accountant and a Non Executive Director of British Waterways^[5].