Mark Bonner Managing Director of York-based rail experts, PBH Rail Group is the latest regional business professional in the hot seat as we give him just 10 minutes to answer our 10 burning questions.

What does a typical working day for you involve?

There isn’t really such a thing as a “typical” working day for me, and that’s probably one of the things I enjoy the most. It’s one of those roles where you need to be ready for anything.

I might start the morning with a clear plan for the day ahead in mind, but experience tells me it very rarely unfolds that way. My mornings usually begin with several coffees before I can properly face the world, followed by a thorough check of emails so I can prioritise and delegate tasks to keep projects moving forward.

From there, the day becomes a mix of meetings, commercial involvement and project oversight. I like to stay close enough to understand what’s happening across the business, whether that’s supporting bids, reviewing performance, or working through challenges with the team.

What makes your company special?

For me, what makes PBH Rail Group special is the people. I like to think of ourselves as a family, and we’ve been very deliberate about building a team with the right mindset. To some extent, everyone here has been hand-selected not just for their technical ability, but for their attitude.

There’s a shared focus on delivery, accountability and doing the job properly. Because we’re a smaller business, everyone feels that responsibility. People genuinely care about the quality of what we deliver and the reputation of the company, so there is a real sense of togetherness, which reinforces that ‘family feel.’

We work hard, we hold ourselves to high standards, but we firmly believe in enjoying what we do. That balance of professionalism, pride and personality is what sets us apart.

Do you have any business rules that you swear by?

Treat clients well. We’re a B2B business, and that can sometimes feel transactional or impersonal, but that is never our approach. We’re client-focused in everything we do, and we try to extend that same family feel we have internally to the people we work with. We make our clients and anybody we work with feel like part of the team, we are fully transparent and we make sure they genuinely feel looked after.

Strong relationships matter. When people move roles or organisations, they often take us with them and that comes down to trust.

Do you dress up or down for work?

It really depends on the day. If I’m not outwardly facing and don’t have client meetings, I’ll dress down and keep it fairly relaxed. But if I’m meeting clients or representing the business externally, I’ll always dress up.

What piece of advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

There are always things you look back on and wonder how they might’ve played out if you’d taken a different path. But honestly, I wouldn’t change much, I’m happy with where things have ended up. I’d probably just tell myself to be a bit less impatient, trust the process, and keep putting the effort in. A lot of what felt like setbacks at the time were just part of the learning curve.

What’s your favourite Yorkshire venue for an event or team away day?

For me, it’s got to be York Racecourse. It’s such a, versatile venue that we’ve used for pure business meetings, larger events, and of course there’s the racing itself. Being local is important to us too; we like to support venues in York where we can and it’s easy for people to get to.

How do you prefer to travel for business?

Where possible, I prefer to travel by train mainly because it gives me the chance to get some work done along the way. That said, if driving makes more sense for the journey or schedule, I’m happy to do that too, it really depends on what’s most practical.

What’s your favourite place in Yorkshire to relax?

Sandsend, near Whitby, is probably my favourite place to relax. It’s got a great beach, usually not too busy, and makes for a really nice day out. You can take the dogs on the beach as well, which is always a bonus. I also enjoy getting up to Northumberland when I can.

Where is your favourite place to eat in Yorkshire, and what dish do you recommend?

One of my favourite places to eat in Yorkshire is Phranakhon in York. It’s Thai tapas, and it’s genuinely the best authentic Thai food I have found, outside of Thailand. Having travelled to Thailand, I’ve always struggled to find somewhere that really matches the food over there, but this place comes very close. I’d definitely recommend trying a bit of everything.

What do you miss most about Yorkshire when you’re away?

It’s definitely not the weather. I’d have to say it’s the people; there’s a straightforwardness and warmth about Yorkshire folk. And, of course, a proper cup of Yorkshire tea.



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