Transport for London’s chief has been re-appointed to his job on a permanent basis - and has also seen his salary rise by some £40,000.
Andy Lord had been serving as TfL’s interim commissioner since October 2022, but on Wednesday the organisation’s board said he had been given the role permanently, in a process involving more than 200 candidates.
The job’s salary has meanwhile increased this year from £355,000 to £395,000 - a rise of 11 per cent.
It had been set at around £355,000 every year since 2015/16, meaning that the rise is significantly below inflation since that time.
TfL said the commissioner’s pay is still “less than the average base salaries of benchmarked comparator roles”.
Mr Lord had been in the job on an interim basis following the departure of the former commissioner Andy Byford.
Since then, Mr Lord has overseen the completion of the Elizabeth line and the Bank station upgrade, as well as the development of plans for new bus provision in outer London, the delivery of new cycleways, and TfL’s work to support the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
In order to find a permanent replacement for Mr Byford, TfL said they appointed the firm Spencer Stuart to “undertake a thorough search of the market and support a comprehensive, fair, and transparent recruitment process”.
The company actively approached candidates from across the globe who met the requirements of the role, with over 213 individuals “identified” as suitable for it. 10 candidates were then long-listed and four candidates shortlisted.
Members of TfL's board, including Mayor Sadiq Khan, interviewed candidates and led the assessment and selection decisions, before settling on the decision to keep Mr Lord in the post.
Mr Khan said he was “delighted” to confirm Mr Lord’s re-appointment.
“Andy brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise to lead TfL as we work to deliver the most affordable, accessible and sustainable transport network possible,” he said.
“I have seen first-hand Andy’s dedication to rebuilding TfL’s finances following the devastating impact of the pandemic and his commitment to delivering better services for Londoners and more sustainable travel across the capital, as well as promoting walking and cycling.
“I look forward to working with Andy as we continue building a safer, greener and more prosperous London for everyone – and a transport system that remains the envy of the world.”
Mr Lord said he was “hugely honoured and proud to do this job and to have the opportunity to continue to steer TfL as we move forward with the work of supporting London’s recovery from the pandemic, ensuring TfL better reflects the diverse city we serve whilst becoming the green heartbeat of the capital”.
He added that one of his key focuses will be to secure more long-term Government funding.
“With transport authorities across the UK now having long-term ‘London-style’ funding agreements in place, London is now ironically the outlier,” he said.
“With the amazing economic driver that is the Elizabeth line, and with our partners and supply chain across the country, we have proven that investment in transport in London can benefit the entire UK. We must now move forward and work together to provide the services and infrastructure that will benefit everyone.”
Mr Lord joined TfL in November 2019 as managing director of the London Underground and became chief operating officer for all of TfL's operations in 2022.
Before TfL, he spent nearly 30 years in the commercial aviation sector, including 26 years at British Airways that culminated as director of operations for just over seven years. He is also a non-executive director for the UK MoD's Defence Equipment and Support Agency.
