In a significant career move, CILT Chartered Fellow, Jonathan Ziebart FCILT, has transitioned from his role as UK Managing Director of Ascendal Group to join international investment and advisory house, RebelGroup, as a Director in their London offices.
Jonathan has 14 years of strategic growth, investment and business turnaround experience from the international public transport industry, most notably including rail operations in the UK, USA and Denmark, and bus operations in Hong Kong, Chile, Singapore, Malaysia, Panama, India, USA and UK.
Widely regarded an industry expert, Jonathan has particular interest and international expertise in the fields of fleet decarbonisation, bus franchising and transport and related infrastructure investments.
Jonathan has previously worked in senior international business development roles at FirstGroup and Tower Transit (now Kelsian Group).
In 2018, he was one of the founding members of Ascendal Group, where he played a crucial role in expanding Ascendal's operations across three continents and was instrumental in securing major contracts, including the operating partner contract for Citybus in Hong Kong.
Most recently, he has led the transformation of Ascendal UK’s Cambridge-based business, Whippet, to national recognition in industry awards; whilst having overseen the launch of the UK’s first privately funded electric bus fleet.
Speaking about the appointment of Jonathan Ziebart FCILT, Kimmo Oostermeyer, founder of Rebel Infrastructure, Assets & Operations said: “Jonathan's move to RebelGroup is anticipated to bring fresh perspectives and robust leadership to the company, as we continue to expand our advisory services in the international bus sector and strengthen our position in the UK.
“His international track record of success at Ascendal and his deep understanding of the transportation and infrastructure industries position him well to contribute significantly to RebelGroup's future endeavours.”
Jonathan comments that he is passionate about delivering real practical change to how transport operations are delivered, he said: “With the UK bus industry facing a challenging outlook – from widespread bus franchising to fleet decarbonisation – I look forward to working alongside my colleagues at RebelGroup to support operators and authorities alike in delivering best in class transport.