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Robert grook
I Robert Brook, who takes over as regional lirector of the National Bus Company's vestern region at the end of the year (he iecomes regional director-designate on )ctober 1), is at 44 one of the younger nen-at-the-top of Britain's State-run bus :ompany. From starting his career in the iccounts office of the West Yorkshire Road :ar Co he has grown to think buses 24 hours
day just as all true busmen do. Mr Brook oined the Army just after the war and became 3 sergeant of weapons training. At one time it ooked as if his career might be in the Army )ut eventually, he turned to buses. On leaving the Services his overriding aim was to obtain some form of professional qualification (he Decame a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries) and the natural step was to rollow in father's footsteps. Mr Brook senior as then chief clerk at West Yorkshire and his ;on spent some time in his department )efore moving to the London headquarters of :he Tilling Group as audit officer in 1953.
Mr Brook had unrivalled opportunities in :hat post to get to know the operations of the iarious subsidiaries as well as gaining a roader view of operating practice. His next two posts — assistant company secretary at Nestern National and company secretary at :.:umberland Motor Services — consolidated us developing interest in the bus business. "A company secretary sees most of the game," says Mr Brook, who asserts that financial axpertise is an essential asset for any bus manager these days.
Mr Brook spent four years as general manager of North Western before taking over at Midland Red last September. He was also made chief general manager of the western region.
Robert Brook holds firm views on the future of passenger transport which he is not afraid to put across in straight, no-nonsense language. At last week's PRTA conference, for instance, he described the concept of fares-free public transport as "the wart upon the body of the public transport harlot". He passionately believes that fares should at least cover running costs.
Not surprisingly Mr Brook has little time for leisure. What he does have is devoted to his family — two sons and a daughter — and his only hobby, military history. Clearly he has spent many hours studying his favourite period — the American Civil War. The attraction came after first seeing Gone with the Wind.
• M.H.