Norman Thomas

2025 will be Norman Thomas’s fourth year as a judge. He began his career in 1984 as a Regional Service Engineer with Leyland Bus, moving to Volvo Bus in 1989 when it purchased Leyland Bus.

With Volvo, Norman initially worked in service before moving to sales. There he was responsible for all engineering activities associated with building Volvo coaches and buses, including close liaison with bodybuilders during its time principally as a chassis manufacturer.

Later Norman contributed to the introduction of complete Volvo vehicles, becoming heavily involved in development and specification of new models for the UK and Ireland. He also worked on technical projects in other countries.

Norman retired from the role of Product Engineering Manager in 2017. He continues to take a keen interest in the industry, in particular developments in driveline technologies.