02/12/2008

• Perth-based transport group ranked sixth in Management Today list
• Stagecoach Group wins award for top company in transport sector

Stagecoach Group is one of Britain’s top 10 “Most Admired Companies”, according to an authoritative survey of corporate reputation.

Management Today’s annual review of Britain’s top companies, now in its 15th year, has placed Stagecoach sixth out of more than 200 businesses assessed in the survey.

The Perth-based group also picked up the award for top company in the transport sector at a gala dinner in London last night.

Conducted by Nottingham Business School, the survey is a peer review of corporate reputation across 24 business sectors using responses from board level representatives of competitors, as well as analysts and City commentators.

Stagecoach was ranked first in the transport sector on eight out of the nine performance criteria, which covered:

• quality of management
• financial soundness
• quality of goods and services
• ability to attract, develop and retain top talent
• value as a long-term investment
• capacity to innovate
• quality of marketing
• community and environmental responsibility
• use of corporate assets

Across all sectors, Stagecoach was second for the quality of management, and also received high ratings for its financial soundness and capacity to innovate.

Steven Stewart, Director of Corporate Communications, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised by our peers and other stakeholders for the high reputation of our management and our business.

“As a Group, we have delivered strongly on our organic growth strategy through a consistent focus on innovation, strong marketing, a commitment to sustainable business, and investment in good value products and our people.

“We are attracting more people to our greener smarter bus and rail services and we will continue to strive to improve our performance further to deliver value to our customers and our shareholders.”

Last month, Stagecoach was rated the most ethical of the UK’s big five public transport groups in a survey carried out by the Observer newspaper in conjunction with Co-operative Asset Management. The Group was rated in the top 10% of UK plcs in the second annual Good Companies Guide, which assesses the performance of all the shares in the FTSE 350 index against a range of social, environmental and ethical criteria.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Steven Stewart, Director of Corporate Communications
Tel: 01738 442111 or mobile 07764 774680
email: steven.stewart@stagecoachgroup.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

Stagecoach Group

Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs 30,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.