Harris Bus & Coach has strengthened its leadership team in Ireland with two major personnel changes. Willie Daniels, who joined the Harris Group in 2024 as Head of Bus & Coach for the company’s operations in Ireland and the UK, becomes Managing Director of Harris Bus & Coach Ireland. Daniels will drive the business forward through 2026 as it gears up for the introduction of new HIGER V Series models, as well as an electric bus range.
Meanwhile, Shaun McBride steps up to the position Head of Coach Sales for Ireland. McBride has more than two decades of experience working in the light commercial vehicle and PSV sectors, both in Ireland and the UK. McBride started his career at a Volkswagen dealership in the UK, before switching to the bus and coach industry with Mercedes-Benz in Mallusk. Subsequent roles have included time in the minibus conversion sector.
Daniels has gained a wealth of experience having worked for more than 25 years in the bus and coach sector. In that time, he has held a variety of roles – from sales to account management and from senior management to operations. With this vast expertise, he is ideally placed to oversee growth and to extend the reach of Harris Bus & Coach in Ireland.
A key focus for Daniels is to develop Harris Bus & Coach’s longstanding mobile roadside and technical support service, which is offered as standard to all HIGER customers. Harris’ own team of engineers, trained specifically to work on HIGER models, can deliver on-call technical support to in-house fleet technicians, as well as provide on-site services. Operators can also use the facility to escalate less urgent work through the dealer network. The offering helps fleets to maximise uptime, recover service in case of a breakdown and provide all-important peace-of-mind when running intensive timetables.
“As a business, we have made tremendous progress in the coach market in Ireland in recent years,” said Daniels, “and I am proud to now lead the business into what promises to be an exciting and pivotal time for the industry. We have an extremely strong reputation and close connection with operators in Ireland, many of whom are looking forward to seeing and experiencing new HIGER products in 2026.”
McBride cited the potential for the new HIGER V Series as the opportunity to take the company to the next level. “With a clear emphasis on innovation, high quality and outstanding customer service, we have all of the attributes that are required by coach operators in the Irish market,” he explained. “We recognise customer requirements, and we have the ability to adapt to their needs – while bringing fantastic products to the market.”
The new leadership team follows successful roadshows during January and February, covering the length and breadth of Ireland. “It’s crucial for our customers to experience first-hand our extensive product range and the dedicated aftersales support that keeps them on the road,” said Daniels. “We’re delighted at the feedback from customers, both existing and new.”
