She joins Northern on Monday, 16 January and will be responsible for employee relations and recruitment, as well as the organisation’s industry-leading learning and talent programmes and will lead a renewed focus on overall employee experience and engagement.
Northern has some 7,000 employees based across the North of England, including drivers, conductors, engineers, customer service and support staff.
Commenting on her appointment, Nick Donovan, managing director of Northern, said: “Lisa has an impressive track record at developing inclusive organisational culture and we’re excited to add her extensive skills and experience to our leadership team.”
Leighton added: “The rail industry is going through a period of huge change and I look forward to working with colleagues at Northern to lead the way in the industry and build a new future for colleagues and customers.”
Outside of work, Leighton is a listening volunteer for the Samaritans, a suicide prevention charity with a long association with the rail industry.
