AI in Public Transport: Webinar for Executives

Emre KIRAN based in Brussels at UITP Headquarters working as Head of UITP Academy. He has a global responsibility for Public Transport Trainings and increasing the efficiency of the trainings.

Mr Kıran worked as Head of Strategic Marketing Manager and led the Pricing, product management of Caterpillar and based in Istanbul Borusan Headquarter in his previous job.

M.Emre Kıran involved several projects when he was a Lean 6 Sigma Blackbelt like Global Parts Pricing Strategy, Efficiency in Fleet Management and Logistics optimisation in Europe-Asia Regions. Kıran has lectured service quality, process management and marketing in many different Caterpillar dealers’ territories. He has more than 13 years of experience in management, training and business development.

Muhammed Emre Kıran has graduated Industrial Engineering in Istanbul Technical University and completed postgraduate programme of “Leadership and Management” in Sabancı University. He also holds a Lean 6 Sigma black belt Certificate after finishing the Lean management in BMGI University, USA and Lean Six Sigma in CAT University, France.

Mr Jeffrey Sim Vee Ming is the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SBS Transit.

He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES), and serves on its Transportation Standards Committee. He also chairs the National Workplace Learning Certification Award Committee.

Internationally, Mr Sim is the elected Chairman of the Metro Division of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP). He concurrently chairs the UITP Asia-Pacific Urban Rail Committee, and serves as UITP National Ambassador for Singapore and a member of the UITP Policy Board.

Recognised for his expertise in urban mobility, Mr Sim is a C-Suite in Residence at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), and serves on the Advisory Board of its Engineering Systems and Design pillar. He also sits on the advisory boards of the National University of Singapore’s Mechanical Engineering programme, the Singapore Institute of Technology’s Engineering Systems programme and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) Asia.

For his leadership in environmental stewardship and corporate sustainability, Mr Sim received the Impact Leader Excellence Award at the Sustainability Impact Awards 2025, organised by The Business Times and UOB. He is also a recipient of the NTUC Medal of Commendation for his efforts in championing the welfare and well-being of SBS Transit’s 10,000 employees.

Mr Sim holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and a Master of Engineering from the National University of Singapore, and a Master of Arts (with distinction) from Massey University, New Zealand. He has also attended executive management programmes at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and NUS Business School, as well as the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD.

Mr Xavier Arrufat is CEO of Awaait Artificial Intelligence, S.L., an AI company based in Barcelona, and President of its US subsidiary, Awaait Inc. Originally trained as a civil engineer, he spent 12 years at GE Plastics and GE Healthcare, rising to EMEA Service Logistics Manager, before pivoting into artificial intelligence in 2012. His first AI project — a fare-evasion detection system for FGC in Barcelona — became the founding product of AWAAIT, which he co-founded in 2014. Beyond FGC, AWAAIT’s systems have been tested and deployed with multiple transit agencies across the USA, EU, and Middle East. Mr Xavier represents the AI Working Group of UITP.