Johnny Schute OBE, the Chief Operating Officer of RSSB, is set to retire in April 2026, bringing to a close a distinguished 45-year career spanning both the British Army and the rail industry.
Schute joined RSSB in 2018 and has been central to the organisation’s technical mission. In his role as Chief Operating Officer, he has overseen a wide-ranging portfolio, including railway standards, safety strategy, rail research, sustainability, the futures lab, and the business management office.
Mark Phillips, Chief Executive of RSSB, said: “It has been a privilege to have Johnny working alongside me for the past seven years. He has brought expertise, energy, focus and good humour to our work and the transformation of RSSB into an important and highly respected technical body supporting Britain’s rail industry. We wish Johnny well in his future retirement.”
Before his time at RSSB, Schute served for 35 years in the British Army in various senior operational and leadership positions. He then moved to the Office of Rail and Road, where he held senior posts focusing on safety, regulation, and performance.
Schute, commenting on his career, said: “After a full military career serving across many operational theatres, I have been privileged to spend 10 fascinating and stimulating years in the rail sector. The last seven have been at RSSB which could not have been more professionally rewarding and enjoyable, working with an outstanding team dedicated to making rail safer and better. I will miss both colleagues and friends, and I look forward to observing—as an active rail user—the continued progress of RSSB and the rail industry in their ongoing journey of reform and modernisation.”
