Article: QR chief wings management award

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QR chief wings management award

QR chief wings management award

26 Nov 09 by Grant Stockwell

A HIGHLY paid Queensland Rail executive has landed one of the most important management awards in Australia.
Paul Scurrah was named the 2009 Professional Manager of the Year by the Australian Institute of Management at a gala dinner in Brisbane this month.

The Clayfield resident beat a number of well qualified finalists including the chief executive of the Queensland Eye Hospital and the acting CEO of Credit Union Australia.

Mr Scurrah is executive general manager of QR?s passenger services and received a $422,000 annual package for 2008-09, up from $372,000 the previous year.

He is married to Premier Anna Bligh?s new chief-of-staff Nicole Scurrah.

The judges said Mr Scurrah had "successfully led his company through the global financial crisis and leveraged opportunities arising from it??.

He also impressed judges with his "unique approach to customer service and employee communications??.

Mr Scurrah described the award as "a huge honour?? and noted accomplishments such as "restructuring the business so there was greater accountability on managerial levels?? as career highlights.

The award win comes in spite of a recent survey that showed 33 per cent of Queensland Rail trains were overcrowded in morning peak hour and there was a constant stream of commuter complaint about a lack of Brisbane train services.

However, Mr Scurrah insisted it would be impossible to maintain 100 per cent on-time services without sacrificing safety.

Commuter advocacy group Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said Mr Scurrah?s award was well deserved.

"He?s certainly started a lot of initiatives through his management team,?? he said.

"There?s more of a customer focus and there?s certainly been a culture shift in terms of customer service.??