Jonathan Ziebart shifts from practitioner to consultant as RebelGroup director

Transport expert Jonathan Ziebart has joined international investment and advisory house, RebelGroup. He becomes a director in the firm’s London office.

RebelGroup is an international consultancy, headquartered in Rotterdam. Since launching in 2022, the firm has spread to offices in Antwerp, Düsseldorf, London, Washington D.C., Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Toronto. The firm, which is built around a non-hierarchical culture, offers clients strategic advice, policy analysis, partnership consulting, financial advice and investment management.

As the firm looks to continue to expand these services, it has announced the appointment of Jonathan Ziebart as a director. He brings 14 years of strategic growth, investment and business turnaround experience from the international public transport industry, across the UK, US, Denmark, Hong Kong, Chile, Singapore, Malaysia, Panama, and India.

Kimmo Oostermeyer, founder of Rebel’s infrastructure, assets and operations team, stated, “Jonathan's move to RebelGroup is anticipated to bring fresh perspectives and robust leadership to the company, as we continue to expand our advisory services in the international bus sector and strengthen our position in the UK. His international track record of success at Ascendal and his deep understanding of the transportation and infrastructure industries position him well to contribute significantly to RebelGroup's future endeavours.”

Ziebart has particular interest and international expertise in the fields of fleet decarbonisation; bus franchising; and transport and related infrastructure investments. He moves from industry into consulting, having most recently led the transformation of Ascendal UK’s Cambridge-based business, Whippet, to national recognition in industry awards; whilst having overseen the launch of the UK’s first privately funded electric bus fleet. He was one of the founding members of Ascendal in 2018, and played a crucial role in expanding its operations across three continents and was instrumental in securing major contracts, including the operating partner contract for Citybus in Hong Kong.

Speaking on his new challenge, Ziebart added, “With the UK bus industry facing a challenging outlook – from widespread bus franchising to fleet decarbonisation – I look forward to working alongside my colleagues at RebelGroup to support operators and authorities alike in delivering best in class transport. This time of challenge is also a great time of opportunity for transport investment, and I am excited to work with and advise the wider transport financial ecosystem on maximising long-term value.”