Steve Ward

Steve has over 20 years of expertise in leading large-scale projects and programmes within the sustainable transport sector. As sponsor on behalf of the West of England Combined Authority for major corridor transport projects in Bristol, Steve’s mission is to ensure joined-up public sector planning and delivery of these high-profile schemes. His extensive experience in programme and project management, alongside in-depth technical skills gained through sustainable transport planning and operations, enabled him to grow a commercial bus operation from a £1m deficit to break-even within five years — while quadrupling passenger numbers and achieving the highest customer satisfaction in the South West. He is adept at senior-level stakeholder management, translating policy into delivery, and developing decarbonisation initiatives for new forms of sustainable transport.

Steve has also held senior roles at both national and regional level, including as Decarbonisation Programme Manager at Transport for Wales. There, he led the development of a pioneering electric vehicle programme on behalf of Welsh Government, forming strong partnerships with all 22 local authorities and commercial charge point operators whilst tackling systemic issues such as grid capacity and renewables integration. He redesigned and managed an annual EV grant fund of up to £15 million, driving significant commercial investment and boosting Wales’ national EV uptake rankings.

His earlier career includes senior commercial and ticketing positions in South Yorkshire and Bristol, and academic and research roles in transport planning and new forms of mobility such as Mobility as a Service at the University of the West of England. Steve holds an MSc in Transport Planning and is a Fellow of both the Chartered Management Institute and the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation.