The RailStaff Awards 2024

Nominations for Graduate or Newcomer Award

James Richards

Said the following about Rowan Blaney:

“Rowan is a passionate and highly driven workhorse, without which the Fast Trackers National Final would not have proven so successful. His efforts to coordinate programme, stakeholders and users, represents a monumental effort on his part, as the National Final was an evolving programme of activities that required acute control of a large number of fluctuating variables that seemed to change almost daily. Rowan absorbed, assessed and adapted to the changes with consummate professionalism throughout.

Rowan’s input into ‘making things happen’ could be easily lost in the outward grandeur of the event as it was his behind-the-scenes efforts that underpinned almost every facet of the programme delivery to keep students, teachers, volunteers and VIPs informed and appraised of programme timings and expectations.

Rowan is a fantastic team player too: quick on the uptake, supportive, direct and honest, hugely versatile and resilient, and he has a no-nonsense approach with the maturity to just ‘get on with things’ because they need doing.

What makes Rowan stand-out though, is his resilience under pressure and his ability to recover his sense of humour as soon as any pressure has past; under the occasionally tough and direct exterior is someone who connects positively with everybody.“