Morson CEO Ged Mason takes home RailStaff Lifetime Achievement Award
Morson Group CEO Ged Mason wins ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the annual RailStaff Awards
The award highlights Morson’s excellent track record in the rail business
Morson Group CEO Ged Mason took home the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 RailStaff Awards.
The award was presented to Ged at a packed ceremony at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on Thursday 28thNovember 2019.
Speaking of the award, Ged Mason said:
“It’s a true honour and a privilege to be awarded this Lifetime Achievement accolade, especially given the strength of the entrants on the shortlist. This year we’ve celebrated 50 years in business and we’ve been involved in the rail sector for a large portion of that time, working on some of the biggest projects like Crossrail, the Channel Tunnel, the Jubilee Line and now HS2. I’d like to dedicate this award to all the Morson contractors working out on assignments and my colleagues who have supported me on our journey.”
Chris Davis of Network Rail and Andrew Fairbank of South Western Railway took the runners up spots.
The submission highlighted Morson’s global reach and, led by Ged, its focus on the future of engineering and bridging the skills gap.
While advancing its international reach, a focus remains on accelerating growth in the UK, with planned expansion into complementary marketplaces, particularly IT, professional services and infrastructure to satisfy labour requirements required to deliver HS2, nuclear new-build, construction and other major infrastructure projects.
In his drive toward global growth, Ged has accelerated the company’s integration of technology, setting the tone for Morson and the industry for years to come. Recent technology investments include: a £1.5m Vencuro application enabling seamless management of end-to-end tasks and access to real-time data; streamlining candidate website journeys – increasing direct website applications by 95% and generating revenues of £6.2m; new bespoke microsites yielding up to a 45% rise in applications; proven social media campaigns.
Bridging the skills gap
Amid escalating competition for talent Morson has worked to introduce extraordinary changes within the industry, innovating to bridge skills gaps while discovering new candidates in previously untapped sources, tackling diversity challenges and opening doors for fresh talent.
A key extension of the Group’s company values is the provision of extensive training to senior management in the area of Equalities, Diversity & Inclusion.
Morson has led several targeted initiatives, including its pledge to double women’s engineering contracts by 2020. Pre-pledge figures showed that women comprised just 7.5% of total engineering contracts. This has risen to 13% in the short period since Morson embarked on its commitment, as the company has more than 1,800 female engineers working worldwide.
Having received an OBE in 2016 and an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration (HonDBA) for services to the business sector and local area from The University of Salford in 2014, Ged has used his position and Morson’s success as a platform for helping others.
Writing about his submission, the awarding body stated that:
“Ged Mason, who joined the Morson Group in 1986, became managing director in 1999 and CEO in 2005. He has embraced the family values with which the company was founded. As it nears £1billion Group turnover, Ged continues his father’s legacy in leading Morson, which is the UK’s largest independently-owned recruitment business. In his drive toward global growth, Ged has accelerated the company’s integration of technology, setting the tone for Morson and the industry for years to come.”
