Accelerating the Transition: Infrastructure and Integration in the New Era of Bus Electrification Forum

Sune Nielsen is a senior public transport leader with more than 17 years in the bus industry. As Managing Director of Keolis Northern Beaches, he brings a strong track record in operational performance and delivering high-quality services for customers and communities.

Over the course of his career, Sune has held a number of leadership roles in bus operations and contract management, including most recently as Head of Operational Performance for Keolis’ national bus operations. He previously worked at Transport for NSW as Senior Manager, Bus Contracts, where he developed deep knowledge of the NSW bus network and strong relationships across the sector. He is focused on operational excellence, collaborative partnerships and delivering reliable, sustainable bus services, including the transition to zero-emission buses.

Mr Yap Soon Hua, Nicholas, was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Australia Business Unit and ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia Pty Ltd (CDC) on 1 July 2019. Prior to this appointment, he was the Chief Executive Officer of CDC Victoria and Chief Operating Officer of ComfortDelGro Cabcharge Pty Ltd. Mr Yap joined the Group in 1994 and was Vice President, Group Business Development, before his posting to Australia. He also served as a Manager in the Service Development Department of SBS Transit Ltd.

Mr Yap holds a Bachelor of Economic and Social Studies (Hons) from the University of Wales in Accounting and Law. He also completed the Executive Programme in Transportation Management from the Nanyang Technological University & Chartered Institute of Transport,
Singapore.

Winston Toh is the Managing Director of public bus operator Tower Transit Singapore (TTS). He joined the business in February 2019, the year its contract to operate 30 bus services was to put up for tender. Under his leadership, TTS doubled in size, retaining its original operations in western Singapore and winning a second, bringing its share of the scheduled bus network to approximately 15%.

He brings to the business a wealth of experience in corporate leadership having served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at defence and engineering group ST Engineering, Deputy CEO at Workforce Development Agency, a statutory board under the Ministry of Manpower, and General Manager at business process outsourcing provider ST Electronics e-Services.

Prior to his corporate career, Winston spent 27 years in the Singapore Armed Forces where he attained the rank of Brigadier General. He is also the recipient of the prestigious Public Service Medal (PBM) and the Public Service Star (BBM). Winston has a Master of Science in Strategic Studies and a Master of Arts in Diplomacy.

Among the bus captains and staff of TTS, Winston is known for being a people-first leader. He walks the ground most mornings, visiting TTS’ bus interchanges and workshops, to build rapport with his employees and listen to their feedback.

Sally is Director of the Busan Metropolitan City Bus Association (BMCA). She works on advancing sustainable public transport, including zero-emission buses, fleet management, and the integration of autonomous driving technologies into urban bus services. She actively collaborates with government, industry, and international organisations to support the future of smart and inclusive mobility.

Mr Goh Pin Kai was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Bus Business on 1 December 2025. He was previously Deputy Head of Bus and Head of Bus Development, where he brings over 20 years of experience to his role overseeing bus schedules, business intelligence, and the management of bus contracts and tender bids.

Mr Goh is a strong advocate for using technology to improve bus operations. He has been involved in overseeing the transition to electric buses, as well as implementing energy and emission management systems. He is also a proponent of using mobile technology and data to improve operations and engineering systems.

Mr Goh holds a Bachelor of Engineering (2nd Class Upper) in Civil and Structural Engineering and a Master of Engineering from NTU.

Marta E. Serrano Balbuena holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Castilla La Mancha (2005). Throughout her career, she has held several senior leadership roles in the transport sector, including serving as Secretary General for Land Transport at Spain’s Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility from 2023 to 2025.

She previously served as Managing Director of the Valencia Municipal Transport Company and as Director of Communications and Consultancy at the Madrid Municipal Transport Company, both public operators responsible for bus services in their respective cities.

Marta is currently Director of Business Development at Renfe, Spain’s national railway operator, where she oversees the engineering division, information systems, and the development of mobility studies to support the introduction of new services across the rail network.

A strong advocate for gender equality, she prioritises the integration of a gender perspective and the promotion of female talent in engineering and transport. In 2018, she co founded Women in Motion, an Ibero American initiative dedicated to advancing gender equality in the mobility sector.

She also works actively to strengthen sustainable, multimodal, accessible, and efficient mobility systems, with a focus on addressing climate change and creating safe, user centred environments.

David has over 2 decades of experience in the Australian Bus and Coach industry.

Joining Volvo Bus Australia as the General Manager in 2004, David grew the Volvo Bus brand taking the organisation to the number one market position in 2009, a position that Volvo still hold today. PTA Western Australia, Sydney Buses, Brisbane City Council and CDC were amongst the business won during this time. In 2011 David moved to the role of Vice President – Asia Pacific. IN this role he was response for all South East Asian markets including Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand and Taiwan.

In 2023 David joined CDC Australia as the Project Manager for Zero Emission Buses before moving to assume the role as CEO of CDC NSW, NSW’s largest bus Operator. In March 2026 David joined TfNSW as the Director of the Zero Emission Bus Program. David holds a Bachelor of Commerce and MBA, both with a specialisation in Marketing.

Matt Threlkeld has been the Executive Director of BusNSW since 2017, leading a small team representing nearly 500 operator and supplier businesses across the NSW bus and coach industry. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and has extensive industry experience, having commenced his career in a family-owned bus and coach business where he was involved in operations, service planning, employment relations, fleet management and marketing. An experienced transport and corporate leader, Matt has contributed to major reforms and initiatives relating to bus service contracts, safety regulation, fleet management and workforce development. In 2023, he was appointed by the NSW Government as the industry representative on the NSW Bus Industry Taskforce. He regularly represents the industry through engagement with government, transport agencies, unions and industry stakeholders, including committee participation, submissions and parliamentary inquiry appearances.

Gareth leads Zenobe’s business in Australia and New Zealand, building on the growth and success of Zenobe in the UK and Europe. He is a former Management Consultant and Strategy expert in the energy and water utility sectors and has had a focus on grid-edge technologies, both through his consulting engagements and through Zenobe’s work within the transport and energy sectors. Gareth is excited about making a positive change in the industries we work in and facilitating rapid transformation using proven technology, strong expertise, and Zenobe’s access to capital.

Darek is a change manager and influencer in the transition to sustainable transport. With over 16 years of industry experience, Darek is a driving force in advocating for decarbonisation of the transport sector with a focus on sustainable and environmentally friendly public transport to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He delivers insightful advice, hosts impactful training sessions and symposiums.

Darek played a leading role in the decarbonisation of Auckland’s public transport bus and ferry fleets and infrastructure specifications. He led Auckland Transport’s transition to a zero emission bus fleet known as Auckland’s ‘Low Emission Bus Roadmap’ aiming to transition the city’s public transport to zero emission buses by 2035 and low emission ferries by 2040. He chaired the New Zealand Low Emission Bus Working Group tasked with overcoming challenges and removing barriers to earlier adoption of zero emission buses in New Zealand.

Darek now works on accelerating the implementation of sustainable transport solutions in Australia and plays a key role in supporting the transition from diesel to electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses, trains, ferries, their management, operations and charging infrastructure.

Sue Chan is the Head of UITP Australia and New Zealand, bringing over 17 years of senior management experience in the transport and consulting sectors. Before rejoining UITP, she served as the Chief Operating Officer at the Public Transport Association Australia New Zealand (PTAANZ). Prior to relocating to Australia, Sue held the position of Head of UITP Asia-Pacific for seven years, where she successfully managed the UITP Asia-Pacific Committee and its sub-committees. This role involved overseeing members from transport authorities, operators, and suppliers across 12 countries. During her tenure, she grew the Asia-Pacific office into the regional office with the largest number of members outside Europe.

Sue has developed strong, lasting relationships with key transportation operators, government authorities, international institutions, and universities across both the Asia-Pacific and ANZ regions. A seasoned professional, she excels at leading teams to deliver exceptional outcomes, particularly in policy and strategy development, business development, stakeholder engagement, and project management.

Earlier in her career, Sue held senior roles at several international transport consulting firms. She led teams of internal consultants and external contractors, successfully completing various global transport planning and traffic engineering projects. Fluent in six languages/dialects, including English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, and Hokkien), Malay, and Indonesian, Sue can navigate diverse cultural and business environments with ease.