The RailStaff Awards 2024

Jake Whiteman

CrossCountry Trains Ltd

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Nominations for Rail Person of the Year

Alex Hartshorne

Said the following about Jake Whiteman:

“We’ve recently launched a brand-new continuous improvement forum based on our Service Quality Regime data, and I’d love to nominate Jake Whiteman for his amazing work on the reports.

The reports aren’t just reports. Jake has crafted them to show a clear picture of what we need to tackle as a business and is very open to adapting them to make them even better. I must also add that he worked exceptionally well under pressure to get everything ready within a few weeks.

Jake is always looking to improve things using data. He’s also done some fantastic work in the past, like creating a bespoke Station Experience Audit app to assess the stations we call at.

I 100% want Jake Whiteman to be Rail Person of the Year 2022, and I’m happy to be contacted if you require any additional supporting evidence.“

Clare Shufflebotham - **HAS LEFT**

Said the following about Jake Whiteman:

“Jake is skilled at turning his hand to whatever the business needs and does everything asked of him thoroughly and with good humour. His resilience has been so key in keeping plates spinning throughout the pandemic and periods of IA and internal challenges. Over the last couple of years he's delivered projects in retailing, timetable planning, project management, service quality, station liaison, and HR (wow!) He's multi skilled, reliable, a safe pair of hands. When we need extra staff at the station, Jake's there working long hours and making sure each customer has the help they require. When other business functions need support with systems and data architecture, Jake's there supporting, coaching and encouraging. When we have challenges with suppliers Jake is the quiet but firm leader who gets everyone on the same page and gets the job done. We need more Jakes across the rail industry to keep momentum, focus on what needs to be done next and not try to boil the sea all the time. Jake's a real asset to our industry and deserves to be recognised for everything he does.“

Paul Howden

Said the following about Jake Whiteman:

“Jake is an enthusiastic and passionate individual who will go over and above to ensure deadlines, milestones and objectives are met. For my nomination it is because of his can do attitude during current immense train planning workload in the industry that he volunteered to return back to assist the train planning team in our hour of need after leaving a few years ago for new challenges. He took the time to relearn areas that had changed and with a cheery disposition got on with the Job and was a real asset to my team.“

Paul Gardiner

Said the following about Jake Whiteman:

“Jake has been a steady hand within CrossCountry for many a year and in many roles. Jake thrives in challenges and will find a way to make things work. The first interaction I had with Jake was in the early days of my managerial career.

Jake had a way of steering me yet not deviating from his goal.

l believe this provided me a positive influence in ensuring my compliance both then and now.

I now happen to be on the same team as Jake, we are a small team recently formed. I am proud to be working alongside Jake, I know his passion for delivering within his role.

Jake's ethos enthuses our team and provides his calming influence. Sharing his knowledge openly to help others grow. Jake will look at things from a different view to others, challenging them in a supportive manner.

I aspire to be as supportive of Jake, my colleagues and of course our customer in my role.

Thanks, Jake, for being a legend within CrossCountry I am sure I am not alone in thinking this!“

Peter Archibald

Said the following about Jake Whiteman:

“Jake is an unsung hero in our industry. His modesty and humility can mean that his contributions often fly under the radar, but he has been pivotal to the success of the many projects he has worked on.

He is often thought of as the “numbers and systems” guy, and while this is true (he is excellent at these things!) it can overshadow the customer-centric thinking that sits behind his well-reasoned approach. The customer experience is always his guiding star.

It has been my absolute pleasure and privilege to work alongside Jake in many roles over the years, and I can safely say that he is one of the most conscientious and authentic people I know. He will give 100% to whatever he is doing, and is always on hand to support others. The rock at the centre of any team.“