- Dede McTaggart named Stagecoach Employee of the Year
- Inverness Administration Manager missed London ceremony while on holiday in Tunisia
- Long-serving colleague praised as the “backbone of the company”
A long-serving Stagecoach colleague returned home to Inverness from a holiday in Tunisia with more than just a suntan after discovering she had been named the bus operator’s Employee of the Year.
Dede McTaggart, Administration Manager for Stagecoach in Inverness, was on holiday when the national awards ceremony took place in London, meaning she was unable to collect the company’s top employee honour in person.
However, a message from a friend later that evening prompted Dede to check the Stagecoach employee app, Blink, where she discovered the surprise news that she had won in a company with 25,000 staff across the United Kingdom.
Dede, who has worked for Stagecoach since September 1995, supports colleagues and operations across the Highlands. She has become a trusted source of knowledge, advice and support for colleagues across the business and is widely recognised for her kindness, patience and willingness to help.
Dede said, “Winning the award was a total shock: I wasn’t expecting it. I was away on holiday in Tunisia at the time, so sadly missed the event, which was a shame. But that night one of my friends sent me a message to check out Blink. So I put my app back on and then I found out I’d won, which was brilliant. Learning I’d been named the Employee of the Year was a great feeling and is the highlight of my long career with Stagecoach. I’d like to thank all my colleagues at Stagecoach.”
Born in Stornoway and raised in Inverness, Dede says the variety of her role and the different challenges each day brings have helped make her career with Stagecoach so rewarding.
She added, “At Stagecoach, every day is different and every task is different. Every day presents different challenges, and I’ve learned a lot over the years from past and present staff members and wouldn’t have got here today without them.”
Dede was nominated for the award in recognition of the vital contribution she makes to Stagecoach’s Highland operations and the consistent support she provides to colleagues.
Stagecoach North Scotland Managing Director, David Beaton, described Dede as the “backbone of the company” and said her award was richly deserved.
David said, “Dede is the very beating heart of our operations across the Highlands. She is down to earth, always happy to help and brings kindness, patience and genuine care to everything she does. Her knowledge, commitment and willingness to find a solution mean she is someone colleagues know they can always rely on. Dede is a tremendous asset to Stagecoach, and we are delighted that her contribution has been recognised with this thoroughly deserved award.”