The contributions of some employees are often clear to many but not always tangible. Amritpal Brom’s contribution to the train operator CrossCountry is difficult to ignore.
Amritpal helped to introduce a new IT system that has saved the operator half a million pounds – an achievement that has won him the Project Manager of the Year award.
Described by colleagues as having a hunger to deliver results beyond expectations, Amritpal is known to roll his sleeves up and help out where needed.
As well as implementing a new high-speed internet link and delivering a new delay repay solution, he oversaw a complex project to migrate a critical business system.
Faster system
Amritpal, who has worked for CrossCountry for two years, said, ‘I’m really shocked to be honest, I did not expect to win… It’s nice to know that people have appreciated my work.
‘There are a whole host of changes we are making at CrossCountry, bringing all the IT infrastructure up to the 21st century, and beyond actually, trying to get ahead of the game and give everyone the right tools to be able to run the trains on the tracks smoothly.
‘One of the great things about IT is that when you deliver something, you can see the reaction, see the users using a faster system that you might have implemented. That benefit at the end is great.’
Unsung heroes
The Project Manager of the Year category was sponsored by the Network Certification Body (NCB).
Craig Young, who picked up the same award in 2016, said, ‘NCB has evolved in the last few years to introduce project management within the business. This has allowed us to have a greater focus on our project deliverables and improve our customer service. When choosing the Project Manager of the Year we were looking for someone who has made the greatest impact in their role, with a strong focus on their customers.
‘Amritpal came across in his nomination as someone who has gone above and beyond and made a significant change in their business.’
He added, ‘Project managers make sure everything fits in the right place at the right time, it’s one of those unsung hero kind of roles.
‘You might just assume that projects are delivered without any issues, but really someone’s working hard behind the scenes to ensure everything is on track to time and to budget – it’s people like Amritpal who bring all these big projects together.’
Highly commended: May-Ann Lew, Young Rail Professionals and Jamie Howells, Poise Group.
