Nick joined Rock in January 2017. He brings over twenty-five years of experience in the railway industry in both the UK and mainland Europe, with a particular focus on the rolling stock market.
Since the beginning of 2019 Nick has played a leading role in the development of Rock’s business in mainland Europe. Working with a team of Rock Rail experts and industry advisors and engaging with regional government, local transport authorities, operators, manufacturers, stakeholders and influencers, Nick has played a lead role in establishing Rock Rail in Germany. This work culminated in July 2022 with the successful financial close of a funding for a new fleet of 17 Alstom Double-Deck EMUs for Deutsche Bahn to operate Main-Weser services in the Frankfurt/Hessen region, followed in December of 2023 with the financial close of the financing of a new fleet of 18 Siemens Mireo EMUs for Deutsche Bahn to operated Mitteldeutsches S-Bahn-Netz 2025 plus Lot 1 in the Leipzig region. Following the close of these transactions, Nick is now also leading project management and asset management activities for both of these fleets during their build and delivery phases. Prior to 2019 Nick’s activities have included being asset and project management lead for Rock on both the Moorgate Class 717 and the Greater Anglia Class 745 and Class 755 trains.
Nick’s career includes two executive roles at major rolling stock manufacturers. Firstly at Hitachi Rail Europe, where he was responsible for the sales, commercial and strategic planning activities of Hitachi’s rail business in both the UK and Europe. He developed, led and implemented Hitachi Rail Europe’s early new business strategy for mainland Europe including senior level engagement with SBB (Switzerland) and DB (Germany). More recently Nick was UK Sales Director and a member of the Executive Management Team at Siemens Rail Systems with responsibility for overall Sales performance of the Rail Systems Division in the UK.
Prior to this Nick worked for the ROSCO HSBC Rail (now Eversholt Rail Group) for nearly ten years in a number of roles. He held overall responsibility for all activities relating to its portfolio of Intercity and Freight rolling stock assets, including relationship management, engineering and project management.
Nick brings with him a comprehensive knowledge of the UK and European rolling stock market and will continue to take a lead role in Rock Rail’s business development and asset management capabilities as it continues to grow its rolling stock portfolio in Germany and Mainland Europe.
Marcus joined Rock in July 2024 as Head of Commercial – Germany. Marcus has over 10 years experience in the railway industry. He has worked for train operators as controller, head of controlling and business development and also as project manager, with roles encompassing a broad range of commercial (engineering) activity and rolling stock.
Most recently, as Head of Business Development of Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB), he was responsible for the “Netz Ostbrandenburg 2” and “Netz Heidekrautbahn 3” transport contracts, having won both transport contracts as the lead responsible for the NEB’s technical and commercial offer. In addition to negotiating the vehicle financing with green bonds, he also managed the technical support with the conclusion of TSSSAs with the vehicle manufacturers.
Marcus’ focus during the tendering process and commissioning was, in addition to the aforementioned focal points, on vehicles with alternative drive systems and the associated infrastructure, including all processes and coordination with approval authorities.
Marcus has an extensive knowledge of operator, financing and vehicle technology experience with which he is an asset to the Rock team and will take a lead role in Rock Rail’s business development and asset management capabilities as it continues to grow its rolling stock portfolio in Germany.
Hans has over 28 years of extensive experience in the German rail sector and is supporting Rock Rail in the introduction of its innovative, competitive and 4th Railway Package compliant funding solutions to the German railway market.
He started his career in the federal states of Brandenburg and Berlin after German reunification, drawing up the future regional railway map for the capital and its surrounding region. In the 1990s, he moved to Deutsche Bahn (DB) and made the project a reality, as head of DB’s regional trains’ unit and group representative for the federal state of Brandenburg.
Hans went on, in 2001, to restructure the passenger rail business of Connex (now Transdev) in Germany, and then gained an additional five years’ experience with the Keolis group, restructuring the German rail business, after they encountered difficulties with the award of a contract.
In 2013/2014, he returned to Berlin/Brandenburg for an interim position as manager of VBB, the regional transport authority, in charge of tendering and contract management. Since then he has had engagements as consultant for different clients in the rail sector, including DB Netz AG and the Railroad Development Corporation (USA).
The German rail system’s current long-term rail development strategy, the “Deutschlandtakt” project, follows the timetable-based expansion of the rail network approach which Hans developed with other rail experts and regional authorities back in 2008.
Trevor joined Rock in December 2016.
He is a partner in Rock’s origination team and has over 20 years of experience in the European infrastructure market working across the transport, social infrastructure, power and renewables and communications sectors. Before joining Rock, he worked at major financing institutions, including Deutsche Bank, CIT Bank and, most recently, as regional project finance team head at HSBC, and he has been involved in many landmark financing deals, bringing together major clients, innovative commercial and financing structuring, and focused and effective project management.
At Rock, Trevor led the commercial and financial close process on our major deals in the UK until 2019, and is now leading our development of the German rail market.
Mark founded Rock Rail in 2014, having established sister company Rock Infrastructure in 2011, following a highly successful career in law at Clifford Chance (10 years) and DLA Piper (18 years).
Mark has over 35 years of experience working in the City of London, New York and Europe. For the last 28 years, he has specialised in developing innovative funding, financing and procurement strategies for major infrastructure projects, working to ensure the alignment of public and private sector interests and to deliver substantially improved public sector value for money.
Since founding Rock Rail, Mark has led the business in securing £3 billion of institutional investment into new passenger rolling stock for UK rail franchises. He is a director for the companies established to finance and lease each of Rock Rail’s fleets to the rail franchises.
Under Rock Infrastructure, Mark was Commercial Director on the landmark Mersey Gateway Bridge Project and principal advisor on the transformation of CAE’s helicopter training facility PPP.
As a lawyer, Mark created and led DLA Piper’s Commercial and Projects Group and in 2007 became Global Head of DLA’s Infrastructure and Defence Sector.
Mike joined the business in December 2018 in the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer heading up Rock Rail’s expanding asset management operations. Most recently he has taken up the role of Chief Originations Officer responsible for new rolling stock and rail infrastructure opportunities and fleet delivery across all markets.
With over 10 years of rail industry experience, Mike has a wealth of commercial, franchise bidding and asset delivery expertise.
Before joining Rock Mike was Franchise and Programmes Director and Deputy Managing Director for Abellio Greater Anglia leading the procurement and delivery of over 1000 new rolling stock vehicles, working closely with manufacturers to design, build and deliver modern high specification rolling stock for the passengers of Greater Anglia. Prior to this Mike was Abellio’s UK rail business development director and oversaw the successful expansion of Abellio, winning the ScotRail and Greater Anglia Franchises.
Mike’s previous roles have spanned a number of other infrastructure focussed industries across Europe and North America, including water and waste, working on the finance, structuring and development of large multidisciplinary infrastructure projects.
Matthew has over 18 years of experience of the infrastructure sector.
Since joining Rock in 2011, Matthew has played a leading role in the negotiation of the commercial aspects of all of Rock’s fleet. He also played a lead role in the procurement and delivery of the Mersey Gateway Bridge PPP, which successfully opened in October 2017. In January 2020, Matthew started as Rock’s Head of Compliance and Risk to support the successful delivery of Rock’s fleets and later that year became Rock’s Chief Investment Officer.
Matthew has acted as a deal principal, financial advisor, a joint lead arranger and bookrunner and a legal advisor on infrastructure projects which gives him a unique perspective and insight into how to structure a project to bring it to a successful conclusion.
Matthew has specialized in PPP across all sectors from roads, parking and airports to the healthcare and education sectors, both in the UK, Europe and North America.
Prior to joining Rock, Matthew worked as a Vice President in the Royal Bank of Scotland’s infrastructure finance group (in New York) and was an Associate in DLA Piper’s commercial and projects team (in London).
Charles joined Rock in July 2024. He is a chartered accountant with a background of 23 years advising on infrastructure transactions.
Charles is responsible for all financial aspects of the Rock Group, including financial strategy, group and project reporting, risk management, investor support, treasury and HR.
He sits on the Management Board and the Investment Committee.
Prior to joining Rock, Charles was a Corporate Finance partner at PwC focused on the infrastructure sector. He brings experience of project finance, M&A, capital raising and regulatory and government advice. He was the UK Transport and Logistics leader and a government relationship partner. He has worked across transport, energy transition, telecoms and social infrastructure. He has secured over £14bn of equity and debt finance for complex infrastructure transactions. He was a member of the Corporate Finance Exco responsible for People.
George joined Rock in January 2019 and has 27 years of experience in rail health, safety, risk and assurance. As Director of Health, Safety and Cyber Security, George has responsibility for: Health and Safety Management; Safety and Quality Assurance; and Environment, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) compliance activity.
George was the Director of Safety at the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) from 2014 to 2019 where he played a key role in the setting of the national rail health and safety strategy and in delivering associated programmes, including sponsoring the successful relaunch of the national supplier qualification scheme, RISQS. He is currently a Non-Executive Director of the Network Certification Body, Network Rail’s independent assurance subsidiary, and has been a Special Advisor on safety to National Air Traffic Services, the UK’s national air traffic control body, since 2017.
Throughout his career, George has worked on all aspects of rail risk and safety management, legislation and governance including the design and assurance of safety-critical rail systems. He is a Chartered Engineer, and a Fellow of both the Institute of Engineering and Technology and the Safety and Reliability Society. He is also the Visiting Professor of Railway System Safety at the Institute of Rail Research, Huddersfield.
Henry re-joined Rock Rail in the origination team in August 2021.
Henry has 7 years of experience in the infrastructure sector having worked on transactions across the transport, communications and energy sectors in Europe and further afield. Having started off his career at Rock, where he worked on several of the early Rock Rail transactions, he has held financial advisory roles at Macquarie Capital (Analyst) and DC Advisory (Associate Director).