Michael William Tuke Brown, (born 14 April 1964) is a British transport executive who was the

Commissioner of Transport for London The Commissioner of Transport for London has management responsibility for Transport for London (TfL) and hence for the transport system throughout the City of London and Greater London in the United Kingdom. TfL is controlled by a board whose ...

. from September 2015, upon his appointment by

Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the 1998 Greater London Authority referendum, Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first Directly elected may ...

Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as F ...

, until June 2020. Following the November

2016 Croydon tram derailment On 9 November 2016, a tram operated by Tramlink derailed and overturned on a sharp bend approaching a junction. Of a total 69 passengers, there were seven fatalities and 62 injured, 19 of whom sustained serious injuries. This was the first ...

, he was one of two top Transport for London (TfL) officials to decline a performance bonus.

Career

Brown started work for

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...

in 1989, rising to become its Chief Operating Officer in 2003. From 2008 to 2010 he moved to be Managing Director of

Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others be ...

. In 2010, he was appointed Managing Director of London Underground and

London Rail London Rail is a directorate of Transport for London (TfL), involved in the relationship with the National Rail network within Greater London, UK which manages TfL's non-London Underground train services. Operations London Rail manages the ...

. On 16 July 2015, he became Interim Commissioner of Transport for London after the departure of Sir

Peter Hendy Peter Gerard Hendy, Baron Hendy of Richmond Hill (born 19 March 1953) is a British transport executive and politician. He is the current chairman of Network Rail and was formerly the Commissioner of Transport for London. Education Hendy was ...

. , Brown is a board member of

London and Partners London & Partners (L&P) is the promotional company for the city of London, England. History It was set up by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, on 1 April 2011. It is a PPP and not-for-profit business focused on promotion of London driving jobs a ...

, chair of the Strategic Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce, and chair of the National Skills Academy for Rail. In October 2019, TfL announced that Brown would be leaving his role as Commissioner in May 2020 to chair the Delivery Authority for the restoration of the

Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north bank ...

. In June 2022, he was appointed

Chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

of the

Rail Safety and Standards Board The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) is a British independent company limited by guarantee. Interested parties include various rail industry organisations, including Network Rail, train operating companies (TOCs), and rolling stock comp ...

Honours and awards

Brown was appointed

Member of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, or ...

(MVO) in the

2002 Birthday Honours Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in supp ...

"for services to the

Golden Jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু ...

" for his work at TfL during what has been called "one of the Underground’s greatest-ever organisational challenges". In 2016, he was awarded an honorary doctorate (

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

) by his alma mater,

Queen's University Belfast , mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back? , top_free_label = , top_free = , top_free_label1 = , top_free1 = , top_free_label2 = , top_free2 = , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , parent = ...

, "for distinction in public service". In 2020 he was appointed a Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(CBE) in the

2020 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours for 2020 are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded ...

for services to Transport.

References

Living people Alumni of Queen's University Belfast Members of the Royal Victorian Order People associated with transport in London Transport for London 1964 births {{London-stub