FIRSTGROUP has appointed Matthew Gregory as its new chief financial officer.

Mr Gregory currently holds the same role at specialist plastic, foam and fibre product supplier Essentra.

At FirstGroup he will replace Chris Surch who said in June he planned to retire for personal reasons.

FirstGroup chief executive Tim O'Toole described Mr Gregory as highly experienced and with “a strong track record of value creation”.

He added: “We look forward to benefiting from his financial, strategic and organisational expertise and international experience. I am confident Matthew will make a significant contribution to the team as we continue to convert the group’s considerable potential into sustainable value creation."

Mr Gregory will be paid a basic annual salary of £425,000 and join the transport operator on December 1.

He said: "This is a very exciting time to be joining FirstGroup. Its market leading businesses have significant opportunities and I look forward to working with Tim and the team to build on the solid foundations already in place and deliver sustainable growth with good financial returns."