Winner Outstanding Contribution Award – QBIC Industry Awards 2021
ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia (CDC), Regional Australia Division Chief Executive Officer, Anthony (Tony) Hopkins has been recognised by his peers for his lifetime contribution to the bus industry at the QBIC 2021 Industry Awards.
Queensland Bus Industry Council (QBIC) Executive Director David Tape said the annual awards now their 21st year were designed to promote standards of excellence, recognising significant achievements within the bus industry in Queensland.
“The Outstanding Contribution Award is one of our highest accolades. The honour roll includes an impressive list of industry stalwarts – familiar names who’ve shaped our business – and Tony is a most deserving recipient in now joining their ranks,” Mr Tape said.
Bus Industry Confederation Chairman, Wayne Patch said Tony was a bus industry veteran with unparalleled experience in the Australian market.
“Tony has worked his way up the ladder from driver to senior executive, giving him an intimate understanding of the full spectrum of industry issues. His exposure to the particular nuances of every sector of the industry under a wide variety of corporate structures provides him with a wealth of experience,” he said.
“He has demonstrated over many years his willingness to share that experience through his involvement in executive leadership positions with both QBIC and BIC. Tony is a trusted industry colleague and an outstanding achiever by any measure.”
ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia (CDC) CEO Nicholas Yap said: “On behalf of CDC, congratulations to Tony and we are immensely proud of his recognition by the bus industry.”
“Tony’s rise from bus driver to the boardroom includes a distinguished career spanning four decades, and a tireless commitment over the past decade to serving on multiple state and national industry associations as a board and committee member,” he added.
“It is wonderful to see Tony acknowledged for his longstanding involvement in, and commitment to, community and charity activities – the importance of employee involvement and giving back within our local communities.”
Tony joined CDC in June 2019 as CEO for Buslink Queensland and Northern Territory. He was recently appointed CEO for the newly setup CDC Regional Australia Division with responsibilities across Queensland, Northern Territory, regional New South Wales and ACT.
The Awards were held on the Gold Coast on Saturday April 10, 2021 as part of the QBIC annual industry conference.
About Tony Hopkins
Industry veteran Tony Hopkins’ rise through Australia’s bus industry ranks is a classic “mail room to CEO” story.
After a decade behind the wheel in his first job as a bus driver and coach captain in the 1980’s, Tony went on to forge an impressive career in a variety of senior management roles for some of Australia’s best-known bus industry brands.
He has dedicated countless hours, sharing his knowledge and expertise as an industry representative, and volunteering on state and national industry boards and committees including the Queensland Bus Industry Council (QBIC) and Bus Industry Confederation (BIC).
Tony has recently been appointed ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia (CDC) Chief Executive Officer, Regional Australia Division, responsible for the Northern Territory, Queensland, regional New South Wales, and the ACT.
Career Background
Tony began his career in the bus industry in 1981 as a driver for the Army. In 1988 he took on a role as coach captain with Ansett Pioneer and Greyhound franchise operator Stateliner.
These formative years as a driver have served Tony well throughout a stellar career – his deep, first-hand knowledge proving to be an invaluable launching pad for a lifelong commitment to the industry.
After a series of promotions, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer at Greyhound Pioneer Australia Ltd in 1999, before purchasing Wynnum Redlands Courtesy Coaches in 2000. He owned and operated the business for several years before taking on the National Operations Manager role for McCafferty’s Greyhound Pty Ltd in 2004.
With his return to the now Greyhound Australia Pty Ltd, which had expanded its operations, he reprised his role of Chief Operating Officer. This role was followed by appointments as General Manager Wheatstone and General Manager Government and Public Affairs.
Tony joined Buslink VIVO Pty Ltd (a joint venture between Buslink and Transdev Australasia Pty Ltd) as Chief Executive Officer in 2013, overseeing the bus contract on the INPEX ICHTHYS gas project in Darwin. During this time, Buslink VIVO was recognised with a long list of annual industry excellence awards, including the prestigious ‘Chief Ministers NT Industry Award’, ‘Excellence in Resource Service and Supply’ in 2016, the INPEX company award ‘Safe Contractor of the Year’ in 2017 and BIC’s ‘National Safety Award’ in 2018.
After Buslink was acquired by ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia (CDC) in 2018, CDC became one of the largest bus operators in Australia. In June 2019, Tony was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Buslink QLD (Buslink companies in Queensland were rebranded to fall under the CDC brand family the following year) and NT companies across nine depots.
Tony’s recent appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of the new Regional Australia Division of ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia (CDC) in March 2021, sees him responsible for four states and territories.
Under Tony’s leadership, the group’s digital transformation achievements were recognised at the 2021 QBIC Industry Awards, winning the ‘Environmental/Innovation Award’ category.
Tony remains an active contributor to the community and the wider industry with three current board and committee positions within the Australian bus industry.
