Women Who Move Nations - The Public Transport Podcast

Michelle Sheppard is a Senior Diversity and Inclusion Advisor at Victoria’s Department of Transport and Planning. In her transparent and vulnerable conversation with host Michelle Batsas, Michelle details her personal and professional journey as a transgender woman in the transport industry. Reflecting on her own experiences struggling with identity and belonging, and feeling torn between men’s and women’s spaces, Michelle emphasis...

Kylie Gorham is a Senior Product Manager at NEC Australia. In her interview with host Michelle Batsas, Kylie talks about the innovative edge of public transport. Listen as they unpack the impact of technology on operational intelligence and passenger experience. Kylie shares her career journey and insights, including the importance of travelling to different cities and experiencing the local transport networks first-hand to gain p...

This episode of PTAANZ’s Women Who Move Nations podcast features Mel Barber, Managing Director at NEC New Zealand. Guest hosted by Rowan Selwood-Eyles, Public Transport Advisor at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and PTAANZ Emerging Mobility Leader, Mel discusses her transformational leadership approach in the industry as she touches on public transport projects, community engagement, and the integration of technology like AI for en...

In the third episode of Season 7 of the Women Who Move Nations podcast proudly sponsored by NEC, your host Michelle Batsas welcomes Dr Nicole Kalms, Associate Professor and Founding Director of the Monash University XYX Lab. Dr Kalms shares her ground-breaking work on gender-inclusive urban design, diving into the challenges girls, women and gender-diverse individuals face within city design. Dr Kalms also shares how her team's...

In this episode of Women Who Move Nations proudly sponsored by NEC, Michelle Batsas interviews Ishra Baksh, Executive Director Strategic Insights and Transformation at Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads. Ishra and Michelle discuss the fusion of technology, diversity, and leadership in transforming transport and mobility, and Ishra shares reflections from her journey from graduate to Executive Director. The conv...

Welcome back to the Women Who Move Nations podcast with your host Michelle Batsas. In the first episode of season 7, proudly sponsored by NEC, we welcome Veronica O. Davis, a pioneering voice in public transport and author of "Inclusive Transportation – a Manifesto for repairing divided communities." Veronica discusses the essence of equitable transport systems and her mission to mend divided communities through better tr...

Join us for this milestone episode of the PTAANZ Women Who Move Nations podcast! This is episode 50 and we've been lucky enough to talk to Natalie Reiter, Deputy Secretary of Strategy and Precincts at the Department of Transport and Planning. Natalie shares her invaluable insights on the future of public transport, emphasising the need to increase accessibility and reduce car ownership. Discover her unique journey in transporta...

Natasha Zulkfili is a globally recognised change-maker in the public transport sector. Her inspiring career includes studying in Kuala Lumpur, New Zealand and London, extensive experience in Malaysian public transport, running the Malaysia-Europe Forum (MEF) and representing Malaysia on USAID and ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) initiatives. She is currently a Director at YTL Construction, part of the project team that i...

Get to know PTAANZ’s new Chief Executive, Lauren Streifer, in her inspiring interview with Michelle Batsas, Executive Director of Future Mobility at the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning and a PTAANZ Ambassador. Lauren has built an incredible career by getting to know as many people as possible, creating a diverse network of mentors and taking every opportunity she can. Lauren also shares her passion for public transpo...

Joanne (Jo) McDonald is the Chief Legal and Risk Officer at Kelsian Group, Australia’s largest integrated multi-modal transport provider and tourism operator, which also has bus operations in Singapore, London and the Channel Islands. Jo shares unmissable advice on developing strategic influencing and management skills, how she has built a sustainable career and key lessons she’s learnt along the way. Jo emphasises that for her, wo...

Katarzyna (Kat) Stapleton is the Chief Executive Officer of Queensland Rail, the integrated customer and rail infrastructure business that manages Queensland's railways and train services. Kat has an inspiring discussion with Sally Stannard, PTAANZ Chair and Deputy Director-General (Translink) at the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads. Kat shares insights on her diverse role that involves being an ambidextrous ra...

Stephanie Speck is the Chief Communications and Experience Officer at the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning. In her interview with Judith Sturman, Executive Group Manager of Transport Canberra and a PTAANZ Board Director, Stephanie talks about her incredible career spanning 23 countries and what excites her about her current role. Stephanie shares how compelling she finds the complexity and future focus of the public t...

Alana Newbrook is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of SYSTRA ANZ. In her interview with Michelle Batsas, Executive Director of Future Mobility at the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, Alana shares how she’s harnessing SYSTRA's global insights and applying them to Australia and New Zealand’s public transport sector. Alana discusses her passion for delivering city-shaping and life-changing projects, rel...

The Hon Catherine King is Australia’s Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government and the first woman to hold the transport portfolio at the national government level. In her interview with member host Michelle Batsas, Executive Director of Future Mobility at the Victorian Department of Transport, Minister King shares insights on Australia’s fast rail future, reflections on her 20-year politica...

Samantha Gain is Kaiwhakahaere Matua Metlink / General Manager of Metlink, the public transport agency for Greater Wellington Regional Council in New Zealand. She is interviewed by guest host Sally Stannard, Deputy Director-General (Translink) at Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads and Vice Chair of PTAANZ’s Board of Directors. Sam trained as a lawyer and loves the legal complexities of delivering public transport s...

Crissy Ditmore is the Head of Public Policy, North America at Optibus, an end-to-end software platform for more equitable, sustainable, and efficient transport services. In her interview with member guest host Katie Cooper, Chief Executive Officer of Metro Tasmania and a PTAANZ Board Director, Crissy shares inspiring insights into how technology and data can be used to create more equitable, accessible public transport networks. Cr...

Judith Sturman is the Executive Group Manager of Transport Canberra and a Board Director for the Public Transport Association Australia New Zealand (PTAANZ). In her interview with Michelle Batsas, Executive Director of Future Mobility at the Victorian Department of Transport, Judith analyses and shares lessons from her 30-year public transport career, which started in the United Kingdom and led her to Australia where she has w...

Bonnie Crawford is the General Manager and Vice President of Umo Mobility, part of Cubic Transportation Systems. She is interviewed by guest host Sally Stannard, Deputy Director-General (Translink), Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland and Vice Chair of the PTAANZ Board of Directors. Bonnie shares her professional journey from the mailroom to the boardroom by getting a variety of experiences early in her career, then ...

Sue Chan is currently acting as Chief Executive Officer of the Public Transport Association Australia New Zealand (PTAANZ). Her education and career have spanned across Asia-Pacific and Australia and she has worked with stakeholders worldwide. In her podcast interview with guest host Tabitha Carr, Marketing Specialist at Mercedes-Benz Truck and Bus and a PTAANZ Emerging Mobility Leader, Sue shares inspiring insights from her profes...