UITP North America Forum 2024

A seasoned engineer and respected executive, Renée Amilcar has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Mobilité Infra Québec (MIQ) since September 2025. In this role, she led the establishment of the agency, whose mandate is to support the opportunity assessment, planning, and delivery of complex public transit projects across Québec. MIQ was created to strengthen efficiency in project planning and ensure rigorous execution. Guided by a strategic vision focused on performance, innovation, and public service, Ms. Amilcar brings more than 25 years of operational leadership experience in complex, highly regulated environments.

Before joining MIQ, Ms. Amilcar served as General Manager of OC Transpo from 2021 to 2025, leading Ottawa’s public transit system. During her tenure, she introduced greater operational discipline, helped restore public confidence, and fostered a culture of performance and transparency. She assumed leadership at a time when the organization was facing significant operational and reputational challenges, particularly related to the city’s light rail transit system.
Prior to OC Transpo, Ms. Amilcar spent 19 years with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), where she progressed through increasingly senior leadership roles before overseeing the entire bus network and its workforce of more than 5,300 employees. Throughout her career at STM, she played a key role in one of the largest fleet expansions in Montréal’s history, negotiated major collective agreements, and supported the transition toward more sustainable and electrified transit operations.

In 2023, Ms. Amilcar became the first woman to serve as President of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) in the organization’s 138-year history. In that capacity, she represented nearly 2,000 member organizations across more than 100 countries and played an influential role in international discussions on sustainable mobility, equity, technological innovation, and public transit funding. In April 2024, she became the first UITP President to address the United Nations, where she delivered a compelling speech highlighting the essential role of public transportation in advancing sustainable development.
Recognized for her collaborative leadership style, expertise in transportation operations and major infrastructure projects, and ability to build strong partnerships, Ms. Amilcar is known for her strategic vision and her capacity to transform complex challenges into opportunities for progress and growth. Throughout her career, she has remained committed to making mobility more efficient, accessible, resilient, and environmentally sustainable.

Kevin Quinn is the Chief Executive Officer of TransLink, Metro Vancouver’s award-winning transportation authority. As CEO, Kevin Quinn oversees management, planning, finance, and the growth and delivery of bus services, SkyTrain, SeaBus, HandyDART, and West Coast Express transit services, as well as cycling and walking infrastructure, five bridges, and the Major Road Network.

Under Kevin’s leadership, TransLink has released several plans that shape the future of transportation in the region, including Transport 2050, TransLink’s latest Regional Transportation Strategy and Transport 2050: 10-Year Priorities, the Climate Action Strategy, the Customer Experience Action Plan, the 2022 Investment Plan, and the Real Estate Development Program.

With sights set on the future and feet grounded in the present, Kevin takes every opportunity to listen to customers’ needs and ensures that TransLink continues to make strides forward for a better tomorrow by putting sustainability, reconciliation, and inclusion at the forefront.

Kevin serves on the board of directors for the American Public Transportation Association and is a member of the Presidents Group, a group of executives championing accessible and inclusive workplaces.

Prior to his time at TransLink, Kevin served as Administrator and CEO of the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA). Kevin holds a master’s degree in Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University and was recognized as one of Mass Transit magazine’s Top 40 under 40 transit professionals.

Miguel Ángel Ballesteros is the current EMT Madrid Manager of Bus Depot Sanchinarro. He has a Degree in Industrial Technical Engineering and Master in Transport and Mobility Management. He has deep experience in fleet maintenance, quality and homologation and inspection vehicles, due to his experience in automotive dealers and in one the most important global TIC (testing, inspection and certification) company. He is university professor in Master in Automotive Engineering. He joined EMT in 2022 in his current role.

Frédéric Bean has more than 20 years of experience in public transit software, including managing major software implementation projects in North America and Europe. As Director – Market Strategy and Sales, he leverages his broad business experience and deep understanding of industry challenges to define GIRO’s high-level strategy for each HASTUS market, ensuring they align with the evolving needs of clients.

Romain Bonifay, the Director of Projects at the Regional Metropolitan Transport Authority of Montreal, is an accomplished engineering professional. With a wealth of experience spanning over 20 years, he has successfully overseen portfolios of major public infrastructure projects and large urban developments, both domestically and internationally. Romain specializes in the strategic planning, meticulous design, and proficient execution of intricate multidisciplinary ventures. His qualifications include a PMP (Project Management Professional) certification bestowed by the Project Management Institute. Committed to holistic project management, Romain diligently integrates economic, technical, aesthetic, and practical considerations, all while championing sustainable development and social responsibility.

Transit runs in Marco D’Angelo’s blood. His father was a bus driver and one of his first jobs was in CUTA’s Ottawa office, working on public affairs. As our president and CEO, he works with members across Canada to advocate for public transit and urban mobility. Since assuming the position in 2019, he has helped increase government support for public transit including significant support to keep transit operating during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prior to joining CUTA for a second time, Marco worked on urban mobility issues as the executive director of the Ontario Traffic Council, the province’s leading association for the traffic management sector. One of the most significant areas in which it delivered leading research was active transportation

He holds an MBA from the École des hautes études commerciales in Montreal, as well as BAs degrees in Law and Political Science from Carleton University in Ottawa. In 2020, Mass Transit magazine named him on of transit’s top 40 under 40.

Brent Boyd is the Manager of Service Quality & Special Operations for MTS.  He manages the rail planning and performance monitoring functions.  He also plans and coordinates all special event and special operations.

He is an active contributor to the Transit Cooperative Research program, is a member of the Transportation Research Board’s Light Rail Committee, and is MTS project lead for the Benchmarking Group of North American Light Rail Systems. 

Prior to MTS, he worked as a consultant, focusing on improving transit services throughout the country.  He has a master’s in urban planning from UCLA.

Jeff is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at TransLink. He leads a diverse portfolio including the Real Estate, Business Technology Services, and Internal Audit and Continuous Improvement divisions. Jeff is responsible for strategy implementation and works to ensure business plans, priorities, and decisions are aligned across the enterprise to help deliver TransLink’s ambitious vision for the future.

Jeff is an accomplished transportation executive with 20 years of transportation planning and engineering experience, including more than 14 years in Metro Vancouver and six years in Chicago. He is a registered professional engineer who holds a Master of Science in Transportation from M.I.T.

Charles Drane currently serves as the Chief Maintenance Officer for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). He is responsible for the efficient and safe operation of multiple modes of public transportation, including trolleybuses, light rail, historic streetcars, and cable cars. He prioritizes the upkeep and repair of critical systems, transit guideways, and facilities to ensure the delivery of superior service and safety for passengers.

Charles take pride in managing systems that run on renewable energy sources to power San Francisco’s transit without depending on fossil fuels. The electric trolleybus network is the original green vehicle way ahead of its time, even before climate change and renewable energy was in the spotlight. He strongly supports the next generation of skilled workers by launching training programs for those who need more experience. He inspires professional growth by offering educational programs to help cultivate future leaders in the transportation industry.

He has 25 years of transportation experience, specifically with the maintenance and operation of traction power, overhead lines and trolleybus vehicle systems. He will be serving as a moderator for the upcoming UITP Barcelona Summit 2023 and is a lead coordinator for the SFMTA to host the next Trolleybus Committee meeting in San Francisco on October 26th and 27th this year.

Before his employment with SFMTA, he had a distinguished career in the United States Navy, gaining extensive knowledge of electrical systems and propulsion plant operations. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Nuclear Power Program.

Matthew W. Daus, Esq. currently serves as Transportation Technology Chair at the City University of New York’s (CUNY) Transportation Research Center of The City College of New York, where he conducts research, and continues to be extensively published as an expert on ground transportation regulation and technology. As a CUNY Distinguished Lecturer from 2010-2018, he taught courses on transportation history, policy, sustainability, for-hire regulation and technology. Mr. Daus also continues to serve, since 2009, as President of the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR), a non-profit educational peer group of government transportation regulators from around the world promoting best regulatory and innovative practices. Mr. Daus is the longest serving Commissioner/Chair/CEO of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), where he served from 2001-2010. Prior to his tenure as Commissioner, Mr. Daus served in many other executive and counsel positions in NYC government for almost 20 years, including:  General Counsel to the TLC and the NYC Community Development Agency; Special Counsel to the TLC and NYC Trade Waste Commission; NYC Human Rights Prosecutor; and Commissioner of the NYC Civil Service Commission.  Mr. Daus is a partner at Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP, where he founded and chairs the Transportation Practice Group since 2010.

Anne Dowling is a Solutions Architect at Cubic Transportation Systems with over 15 years of transport industry experience across 25 countries, including Chile, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the US. With extensive experience in transport technology project delivery, system design, and operational optimization, Anne is focused on using technology to improve passenger experiences and enable efficiencies for transport authorities and operators. She is also a PhD Candidate at University College London researching connected mobility policy and operational compliance.

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Daniel Farina has been Deputy Managing Director of CDPQ Infra since November 2022 and has been promoted to General Manager in August 2023. In this role, he is responsible for the delivery of the REM’s various branches and its operations, as well as the management of development projects, projects underway and the development strategy for CDPQ Infra.

Mr. Farina has over 25 years of experience in managing and structuring major infrastructure projects around the world. He has been at the heart of major infrastructure transactions in the fields of healthcare, energy and highway and rail transportation. Prior to his appointment, he was Vice-President of Operations, a mandate that led him to oversee the research, management, contracting and development of various infrastructure projects. 

Before joining CDPQ Infra in 2019, he worked for Obrascón Huarte Lain (OHLA Group), first as Director responsible for the Université de Montréal’s new Hospital Centre (CHUM), then as Director responsible for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects.  

During his career, he has held positions as engineer, manager and director for infrastructure projects in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. 

In addition to having completed a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering in Spain, M. Farina holds an Executive MBA (EMBA) from the IE Business School in Madrid, and executive education from the prestigious Stanford and Harvard Universities in the United States. He is a member of the Order of Industrial Engineers of Madrid and has served on several Boards of Directors and Executive Committees.

Jessica is a strategic public affairs leader, brand-builder, and communications professional for Metro Vancouver’s award winning multimodal transportation authority. As TransLink’s Director of Public Affairs, she leads a dynamic team responsible for government relations, advocacy, community outreach, public engagement, and travel training. Jessica is passionate about relationship-building and community.

Camilo Forero brings extensive expertise in transportation projects, public law, project finance, and litigation. With over 12 years of experience, Camilo has advised both public and private entities on a wide range of transportation and infrastructure matters. He is renowned for his pivotal role in the performance and financing of the latest electric bus supply agreements for the city of Bogotá, as well as his adept handling of various disputes related to BRT concession agreements across Colombia.

As General Counsel at TRANSMILENIO S.A, Camilo faces the complex challenges of securing public and private financing for new fleet supply operations, all while striving to meet Bogotá’s ambitious urban transit decarbonization goals. His legal acumen is underpinned by his degree as attorney at law and his Master’s degree in Public Law (LL.M.) from Universidad de los Andes.

Ricardo Giesen is Director and Associate Professor at the Department of Transport and Logistics Engineering at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC). He is the Director of the BRT+ Center of Excellence funded by VREF and serves as a board member of EFE Central (Chilean State Railroad Company, Central subsidiary). He is a Civil Industrial Engineer with an M.Sc. in Transportation Engineering from PUC and PhD in Transportation Systems from the University of Maryland at College Park. He specializes in transportation systems operations and planning, as well as public transport systems. He has been a consultant to several companies and government agencies.

Matthieu Giraudier is the Head of the Development of the Passenger Information at the tpg – transports publics genevois , in Switzerland. He and his team are in charge of developing and maintaining the complete passenger information ecosystem, to ensure consistency and coherence of information across the entire multimodal transport chain.

Matthieu is a member of the Federal Commission for Passenger Information (KKI). Together with his peers from the Swiss public transport sector, he guides and validates technical and business developments, and plays an active role in drawing up the national standard for Passenger Information.

His work in Geneva and Switzerland focuses on the harmonization of information, accessibility to information at all times and in all situations, and the theorization and compilation of knowledge related to Passenger Information, all with a customer-oriented approach.

Matthieu is a member of the UITP Design & Culture Committee.

Josephine Kencroft is a Senior Project Manager in KONE Americas. In her current role, she is focused on delivering residential, commercial and transit elevator projects throughout Ontario & Atlantic Canada. Josephine has over 18 years of experience, including 7 years at KONE, on transit orientated projects in the UK and Canada. This extensive and in-depth experience has given her a unique understanding of construction and upgrades to world class transit systems. She previously worked on Transport for London projects, as well as at Network Rail helping to set requirements for major line upgrades.

Arno Kerkhof was born in 1972 in The Netherlands. In 1996, he graduated as a Civil Engineer at the Engineering University of Delft after having obtained in 1995 a Certificate in Transport and Planning at the French Ecole Nationale des Ponts and Chaussées in Paris (ENPC). Arno joined UITP in 2003 where he carried out the Bus of the Future project.

He is currently Global Head of Bus Division and is directly in charge of all content and knowledge-related bus activities within the Association, coordinating members’ work on the Bus Committee, the Trolleybus Committee, its four Technical and Operational Working Groups and the UITP Industry Committee and acts as senior trainer on a worldwide basis in the development of the UITP training services.

Arno develops cross sectoral activities (Tender Structure platform, SORT fuel consumption referential, Standard Bus Activity Model) and is doing research on Bus Systems.

Arno Kerkhof is a confirmed public transport professional with a long practical and field experience in the services as described above.

Khelsilem is a prominent Indigenous leader and current Chairperson of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). First elected to Council in 2017, Chairperson Khelsilem was an official Spokesperson and active in leading work on various projects and initiatives including developing a not-for-profit housing society and the Sen̓áḵw development, the largest Indigenous housing development in Canadian history. Khelsilem’s lifelong work has focused on progressive social change, including climate justice, social democracy, and gender equity. Khelsilem brought this passion for change when he became leader of the Squamish Nation in 2021. Khelsilem has been a strong advocate for transparency, accountability and ethical governing standards that will allow all Nation Members to benefit. Chairperson Khelsilem sits on numerous boards and advisory committees. He is currently the Co-chair of the City of Vancouver’s United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Taskforce. Chairperson Khelsilem is a fluent speaker of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim (language) and prior to serving the Squamish Nation, he founded a program at Simon Fraser University to help train a new generation of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim (language) speakers.

Julie Kirschbaum is the Director of Transit at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). She joined the agency in 2007 to work on her dream project, the Transit Effectiveness Study, which evolved into the Muni Forward program. Muni Forward focuses on delivering safe and reliable transit service. Before becoming the SFMTA’s first woman Director of Transit, Julie led Transit Planning and Scheduling for many years until she became Chief Transportation Officer in 2017. Prior to working for the SFMTA, she served as a Senior Transportation Planner with the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and as a consultant in the private sector. Julie is passionate about designing systems that are real alternatives to the private automobile and that are accessible to everyone. She loves leading and supporting the diverse and dedicated workforce of the SFMTA and especially enjoys seeing strong people advance and bring new voices and ideas to the agency’s work. She is the mother of two small transit riders – Viena and Esa.

Alexandre Lalonde is part of Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration business unit, and is based out of Montréal, QC, Canada. He joined Hitachi Energy (back then ABB) in 2017, where he held different roles including technical sales, business development and product management for the North American market in the EV charging segment. Since August 2020, Alexandre is heading Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration business unit EV charging group on the North American market. Alexandre holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Université de Sherbrooke with a concentration in Power Engineering from Institut en Génie de l’Énergie Électrique – Polytechnique Montréal.

Mark Langmead, CPHR is Director, Revenue & Compass Operations with TransLink in Vancouver, Canada.  Mark is responsible for revenue, fare collection, payment technology, and the overall customer experience with payments and the Compass smart card program in the Metro Vancouver Region. Mark led the introduction of contactless payments on an integrated transit network that carries over 400 million passengers annually. Mark is responsible for the development and implementation of long-term strategic plans and the introduction of new fare products and features to increase ridership, revenue, and improve the overall customer experience.

Mark led the introduction of contactless credit card, debit card, and smartphone payments on trains, buses, accessible services, and ferries as well as wearable payment technologies. Currently, Mark is sponsor of the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) pilot program to integrate car share, bike share and transit payments in Vancouver, as well as the transition to an account-based revenue collection system.

Andrew Mead is an Architect specializing in Transit Design. He has 30 years of experience in North America, Europe and Asia and has worked as the Chief Architect for the Singapore, Dubai and Hong Kong Metros. He has been the client for multiple award-winning designs, including World Architecture Festival Transportation Building of the Year 2009 for Brash Basah Station. Responsible for the design management of over 100 stations in Singapore from 1996 to 2013, Andrew has been the most influential transit architect in the nation. He is also the creator of the ‚Art in Transit‘ programme that is now Singapore’s largest public art programme.

In 2013, Andrew moved to Hong Kong to lead MTR’s multi-disciplinary design team working across a range of scales and contexts, from master planning of new stations and precincts, integration of stations with TOD developments, to detailed design of new rolling stock, ticketing facilities, and even uniform design. Andrew understands the essence of place making and the qualities that are needed to create some of the world’s finest Transit Orientated Developments. Combined with his technical and people management skills, he has a proven track record of delivering projects of the highest quality.

Andrew is a graduate of the University of Sheffield and began working in transit design in 1985 with the legendary Design Research Unit (the original architects of the Hong Kong metro). West India Quay on the Docklands Light Railway was the first station designed by Andrew in the U.K. In 1992 Andrew moved to Toronto, Canada where he worked on the design of 5 stations on the Sheppard Subway and managed the public art programme, commissioning artists to create site specific artworks at each station.

From 2006-2008 Andrew was the Chief Architect of the Dubai Metro Red & Green Lines. Andrew’s design leadership transformed the look of the stations into the required ‚Dubai Class‘ standard and he was instrumental in improving the metro stations integration with the surrounding urban environments.

He has collaborated with professional organizations globally such as AIA, RIBA and the UITP where he chaired the Design & Culture Committee for four years and now sits as Honorary Chair. Andrew has lectured widely on both architecture and art at international conferences and universities. The artworks he has commissioned have been published in four books with a fifth currently in production.

Sascha Meyer has been CEO of MOIA GmbH since August 2022. Previously, he was already primarily responsible for the development of the all-electric MOIA ridepooling service and the activities in the field of autonomous driving as Head of Product since 2017 and Chief Product Officer since 2019. With the MOIA ridepooling service, Sascha Meyer not only brings a fleet of 515 battery-electric vehicles to Hamburg, but also contributes to the transformation of mobility in the city – with the continuous goal of ensuring that shared mobility is an attractive alternative for all Hamburg residents. Previously, he worked as a management consultant for several years, supporting companies listed on the German stock market index DAX and start-ups in the development of digital products.

Leveraging 30 years of experience in automotive technology and emerging tech markets, Gretchen Newcomb’s career has focused on facilitating productive relationships among stakeholders in transportation, technology, research, policy and media because she believes the environmental and societal benefits of smart, sustainable mobility are immense. She is currently the Director of Partnerships at MobilityData, the International Data Organization for Transport, providing journey planning data – General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) and General Bikeshare Feed Specification (GBFS) – to data producers and consumers of public transit and shared mobility worldwide. She’s on the advisory board of Future Mobility, assisting Sweden’s Innovation Agency to steer collaborative projects with the US that accelerate sustainable mobility innovation.

Prior to joining MobilityData, she co-founded a pioneering mobility thought leadership platform. Acquired in 2018 by Informa, C3 Group produced Smart Mobility Summits in San Francisco, New York, Austin during SXSW, and in Washington, D.C., facilitating an annual public-private sector roundtable for the House and Senate then-Smart Transportation Caucuses. Launched in 2013, C3 Group’s goal was to convene siloed stakeholders across the private and public sector from automotive, technology, media, and policy to communicate, share challenges and facilitate collaboration to drive smart mobility solutions.

She earned a BS in Journalism from Boston University and completed a certificate program through MITxPro, “Leveraging Urban Mobility Disruption for Cities” in 2021.

MobilityData

MobilityData is creating a collaborative culture through the development and improvement of open source data, tools, and training to establish digital standards and best practices that facilitate equitable access to innovation and transform transportation. MobilityData is uniquely qualified to speak on this subject based on its proven success in facilitating community collaboration to promote transit data standardization worldwide. No other global organization in the sector provides this level of service or technical capacity. In order to realize a sustainable future that enables seamless, multimodal mobility, MobilityData helps solve problems that the ecosystem faces and promotes how interoperability can address these challenges like how can public transit systems operate more efficiently and dynamically to respond to traveler needs and market demands; how can we align the ecosystem, and leverage data sharing across sectors and systems, to realize a vision of sustainable transportation that has the power to lift all of humanity and provide solutions to the climate crisis we are facing.

Arthur Nicolet has spent his entire career in the mobility sector and is committed to working in companies that are “ mission-driven “ and concerned with their raison d’être. A graduate of the École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris, Arthur began his career at the age of 23 as an operational division manager in Europe within the Veolia Environment Group. Arthur quickly moved on to manage several operational entities which led him to manage the largest public-private partnership contract of Transdev Group in France.  With this experience of both the field and complex political and industrial environments, Arthur took over the management of Transdev Canada, a subsidiary of Transdev Group, in July 2018.

A specialist in public-private partnerships, for the diversity of political and industrial players they bring together and the long-term vision of the projects they impose, Arthur is attached to the values of corporate social responsibility and sees them as a vector of performance.

Under his leadership, Transdev Canada has grown by 400% and diversified its activities in 6 provinces and 1 territory. As Canada’s leading multimodal operator, Transdev is now a key player in transit, paratransit, student and medical transportation in the country. Committed to major long-term mobility projects, Transdev Canada is also the future operator of the Hurontario light rail and the Ontario Line automatic metro as part of public-private partnership contracts in the Greater Toronto Area lasting more than 30 years. Also committed to the energy transition, the company has become a pioneer in this field by developing one of the largest fleets of electric school buses in North America for a private operator, in partnership with the Quebec manufacturer Lion.

Finally, in 2022 Transdev Canada was certified as a Great Place to Work®, thanks in particular to the company’s efforts, recognised by more than 80% of its employees, in terms of diversity, inclusion and well-being at work.

Ralf is an experienced leader in infrastructure, sustainability, transit, and real estate. A firm believer in the value of innovation, facilitation, and teamwork, he has worked across multiple sectors in his 25+ year career including transportation, municipalities, automotive, consumer products, governments, and post secondary education. Working under the CFO, Ralf’s Enterprise Sustainability and Risk Management department is responsible for developing sustainable solutions for TransLink and strategically manage cross-organizational risks. An optimist by nature, his big picture view of the world comes from growing up on the Canadian Prairies, a physics degree and applying both scientific and design methods to solve problems.

Mario Péloquin was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Rail in June 2023 and brings over 35 years of experience in the railway industry to his new role. His career trajectory started as an operator and then a rail traffic controller before he rose to hold senior roles focused on rail safety at Transport Canada and the Transportation Safety Board. Mr. Péloquin then transitioned into executive positions with global leaders such as Siemens Mobility, Aecom, Thales Canada, and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, leading significant and transformative transportation projects.
Before joining VIA Rail, he held the position of Executive Vice-President, Major Projects for the Paris-based Keolis Group. Mr. Péloquin believes profoundly that effective public transit is the key to solving many societal issues. His extensive experience and commitment to safety, operational efficiency, and innovative technology position him well to lead VIA Rail into a new era of innovation and operational excellence.
Mr. Péloquin holds an MBA from the Université du Québec à Montréal. He has also served on the boards of the Canadian Consortium for Urban Transportation Research and Innovation (CUTRIC), the Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers (CARS), the Toronto Railway Club and the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA).

Adrianna has spent two decades collaborating with public and private sector organizations, guiding them in establishing, developing, and executing technology strategies that drive business transformation. Currently serving as a Director at CGI, a global technology and management consulting firm based in Montreal, Canada, Adrianna focuses on delivering value and excellence in customer service to enterprise clients.

Her expertise spans enterprise account management, business development, and solutions selling, with a strong foundation in cloud technologies and strategic alignment. Adrianna holds multiple IT certifications and an MBA specializing in Professional Selling and Leadership. Her passion lies in solving problems and facilitating transformative outcomes, embodying a commitment to continuous learning, diversity advocacy, and unwavering optimism.

Sandra, an international thought leader in shared mobility since 2010, has significantly impacted the field with her leadership in over 80 global projects through her company movmi. Sandra offers unique public sector and private industry experience and her work focuses on the design and planning of multimodal transportation ecosystems.  In Metro Vancouver she has been leading stakeholder engagement and service design for TransLink’s multimodal efforts since 2017 combining public transport with two local carshare providers (Evo, Modo) and Mobi bikeshare.

Her work in shared mobility has garnered her a TED talk, a Clean50 award and the 2021 Change Maker Award by BCBusiness. She was selected as Shared Mobility Expert with the Canadian Council of Academies on the future of autonomous, electric and shared transportation in Canada and is a part-time lecturer at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland).

Kurt is the Chief Information Officer for TransLink, Metro Vancouver’s (Canada) integrated, multi-modal regional transportation authority. They plan, finance, manage, and operate the transportation network to meet the region’s unique needs, serving a population of 2.5 million with an average of 1.3M boardings each weekday on its bus, rail, and ferry services. Kurt provides executive leadership for TransLink’s enterprise technology strategy, services, and cybersecurity functions. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration and several professional designations as a consultant, project delivery specialist, and board director. In addition to his executive responsibilities, Kurt sits on the Board of Directors for E-Comm 911, British Columbia’s emergency contact and dispatch service, serving as Chair of the Transformation Oversight Task Force and as a member of the Finance and Audit Committee.

Sarah Ross serves as the Vice-President of Transportation Planning and Policy, where she plays a critical role in shaping Metro Vancouver’s transportation landscape. Sarah’s keen focus on advancing TransLink’s Access for Everyone vision is guided by her core belief that the job of transportation planners is to break down inequality and increase access, in ways that minimize the negative environmental and health impacts of travel. She leads an exceptional team responsible for developing comprehensive policies, funding strategies, network, and infrastructure plans to meet the diverse needs of the region’s growing population. She also oversees the team responsible for transportation analytics, research, and forecasting.

With over 25 years of experience in transportation planning and research, Sarah brings a wealth of expertise to her role. She has been instrumental in delivering multibillion-dollar transportation plans. She has crafted long-term visions that prioritize the region’s mobility needs while aligning with broader sustainability objectives. Sarah is a champion for accessibility, improving the customer experience of taking public transit, and building safer cycling and walking infrastructure.

Sarah’s academic background, which includes degrees from McGill University (BA Sociology), University of Toronto (MA Sociology), and University of British Columbia (MA Planning), underscores her deep understanding of the complexities of transportation planning and management. Beyond her professional pursuits, Sarah is an urban cyclist and finds fulfillment in outdoor activities such as trail running, coaching cross-country skiing and, cheering at her kids’ soccer games.

Jen Shepherd leads Uber’s Global Transit business – a partner to cities and transit agencies, with the goal of making public transit more accessible to those who need it most.  Jen and her team are passionate about helping transit agencies achieve their goals around improved equity and access, increased ridership, better customer experience, and greater operations flexibility.  Previously, Jen led Uber’s Southeast US operations for micromobility and delivery businesses.  Prior to joining Uber, Jen held leadership positions across operations, strategy, and finance in the freight, consumer products, and homebuilding industries.  Jen earned a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Harvard.

Paul P. Skoutelas is president and chief executive officer of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). His entire career has been in public transportation, serving in both the public and private sectors.

Skoutelas is a champion for the power of public transportation to create personal and economic opportunities for all and to connect and build thriving communities.  He testifies often before Congress and is a frequent speaker on public transportation issues as APTA leads the industry’s transformation in the new mobility era.

Prior to joining APTA in 2018, Skoutelas served as senior vice president for WSP USA, one of the world’s largest architectural and engineering firms and national director of WSP USA’s Transit & Rail Technical Excellence Center. He also was chief executive officer at the Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX), Orlando, Florida.

Skoutelas serves on numerous boards and committees, including the Transportation Research Board, Mineta Transportation Institute, ENO Center for Transportation, Transportation Learning Center and the Alliance to Save Energy’s 50×50 Commission on U.S. Transportation Sector Efficiency.  He is a member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Executive Advisory Board on Smart Mobility and Carnegie Mellon University’s Mobility 21 Advisory Council. Additionally, he serves on the Board of MPact (formerly Rail-Volution) and the Transportation Technology Center, Inc.

He is also a long-time member of WTS International and is its 2020 recipient of the Honorable Ray LaHood Award. Under Skoutelas’s tenure, APTA also received the Employer of the Year Award from the WTS-DC chapter. Skoutelas has been a long-standing member and sponsor of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO).

Skoutelas received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a licensed professional engineer.

Andrea Soehnchen is a graduated Civil Engineer, specialised in infrastructure and transport planning. She joined UITP in 2001 as a European Project Manager and built up UITP’s security related activities. She then worked some years for Securitas, a leading private security company, as Strategic Development Director in charge of the public transport segment.

As latest venture Andrea founded TransFortis, a consultancy aiming to help organisations develop sound innovation and business strategies enabling them to adapt to changes and disruptions of their business context.

In this capacity Andrea is now also supporting UITP as Manager of the Urban Mobility Open Payment Forum, as well as expert and trainer in the context of security, crisis management and business strategy.

Mylène is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Nova Bus of the Volvo Group, a leading manufacturer of public transit buses in North America. She has over 20 years of experience in the aerospace and automotive industries, where she has developed and executed successful business, commercial, and growth strategies. She holds an MBA from the University of Cumbria in the UK and two engineering degrees : Environmental and agricultural engineering and mechanical engineering with a minor in management from McGill University in Canada.

In her current role, Mylène leads a team of professionals who are responsible for market strategy, sales, bids and proposals, marketing, and product and solution planning. She also oversees the R&D budget and ensures alignment with customer needs and market trends. Mylène is passionate about creating impact and value for her clients, stakeholders, and team members. She is also a board member of several organizations in the transportation, government, and hi-tech sectors, and a mentor and a volunteer for various causes in her community.

Tiago Terra is an Engineer, has a degree of Business Development from London University and a master’s degree in Transport Engineering.

He is an Executive Member of UITP Latin America and works as Executive Manager of Mobility Concession Agreements for the CCR Group in Brazil, a private company that operates metro lines, urban trains, VLTs and ferries, which transport more than 3 million passengers per day.

Mr Tjhin Poi Chung joined SMRT in June 2022 and is currently the Head of Applied Rail Technologies (ART) department, overseeing the development and deployment of AI-enabled digital capabilities in SMRT Trains.

Mr Tjhin previously worked in ST Engineering between 2018-2022. He was the Senior Vice President and Head Operations of Land Systems business area between 2021-2022, overseeing its corporate functions and international businesses in the US. He was the General Manager of a business unit specialised in component MRO and commercial generators between 2019-2021, Vice President (Project) in the Mobility Rail business unit in ST Engineering in 2019, and lastly, Vice President (Defence Business) in ST Engineering in 2018.

Before joining ST Engineering, Mr Tjhin served in the Singapore Armed Forces. He held various positions in logistics, maintenance and engineering, with the last appointment being the Chief Maintenance and Engineering Officer (CMEO), overall responsible for providing the maintenance and engineering support for the Singapore Army. For his service, he was conferred the Public Administration Medal (Silver) (Military) in 2015.

He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US with a M.Engg (Logistics), and the McGill University in Canada with a B.Engg (Electrical) (with Distinction).

Manfred Troll is a senior leader with a long track record of multiple disciplines and geographies starting from software development across product line management into business development and sales. Manfred holds a Diploma in Computer Sciences and has a solid technical as well as commercial experience gained in military technology environment, the whole bandwidth of petrol downstream solutions up to transportation ticketing systems specialized into account-based ticketing. Manfred joined Scheidt & Bachmann in 2006 and is focusing on concept and functional design of the Scheidt & Bachmann account-based ticketing solutions.

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Steve Vanagas is the Vice-President of Customer Communications and Public Affairs at TransLink. In this role, he is responsible for communications, marketing and customer experience programs, Indigenous Relations, community engagement, and building upon TransLink’s brand and reputation as one of North America’s top transit systems.  

Steve is passionate about listening to customers and improving their transit experience. Under his leadership, TransLink released its first-ever Customer Experience Action Plan and achieved its highest levels of customer satisfaction and corporate reputation.  

Steve previously served as head of communications and public affairs for BC Hydro, one of Canada’s largest electrical utilities, and as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Premier of British Columbia. Steve has an MBA from the University of Victoria. He is a frequent presenter on the topics of brand, corporate reputation and customer experience.

Jarrett Walker, PhD, is an international consultant in public transit network design and policy. He has been a full-time consultant since 1991 and has led numerous major bus network design projects in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. He is President at Jarrett Walker + Associates, based in Portland, Oregon.

He is the author of the popular public transit blog HumanTransit.org, and the book Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking about Public Transit Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives (Island Press, Revised Edition 2024). This book is a friendly, non-technical introduction to transit’s underlying geometry, and the real value judgments that must be explored to make both transit and development policy. His background integrates an arts and humanities PhD (Stanford, 1996) with long technical experience in all aspects of transit and its role in city-building. He is a frequent keynote speaker, teacher, and facilitator of decision-making processes.

Corentin is Programme Manager at UITP Academy, the association’s learning and development services that help organizations build skills to improve public transport and urban mobility worldwide. He leads the design, development and continuous improvement of the training portfolio and manages customized trainings and peer reviews.

Before joining Academy, Corentin was Head of the Rail Unit in UITP’s Knowledge & Innovation Department and Manager of the association’s Metro Division and Regional and Suburban Railways Division, which bring together member operators of UITP. He managed those Divisions’ Committees and several of their permanent working groups. Corentin joined UITP in 2010 from a background in communications and journalism. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Urban Planning at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium).

As Leader (AVP), Merchants & Platforms, Laura is responsible for leading sales and client management efforts supporting Merchants, Platform & Card partners to enable Debit wherever consumers need it. Laura brings more than 20 years of experience to the Interac team from various industries including CPG, Loyalty, Technology & Retail. She has continuously pursued her passion of bringing innovation & value to merchants of all sizes in Canada. When not trying to make merchants lives easier….she can usually be found on the Ultimate Frisbee field, a Volleyball Court or a Disc Golf Course competing across the Globe.

Brian T Wilton serves as NJ Transit’s first ever General Counsel providing legal review and advice on a broad array of legal issues affecting the nation’s third largest transit system Wilton currently leads a team of attorneys and also oversees NJ Transit’s Records Management, Open Public Records and Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action functions. Prior to NJ Transit, he served as Deputy Chief Counsel to the Governor of New Jersey and Director of the Authorities Unit, which provides oversight over the governance and operations of more than 50 independent State and bi state agencies including the State’s transportation sector. Before entering the government, Wilton was a civil litigation attorney and criminal prosecutor.  In addition to his legal practice he also served as a councilman and Mayor in the Borough of Lake Como, New Jersey from 2005 until 2018. He holds a B A in History with a minor in Political Science from the University of Scranton and a J D from Seton Hall University School of Law.