Sitting down with the leading female transport leaders…as UITP speaks with the Women Who Move Nations

Whether we’ve been listening intently to stories about career beginnings, or been intrigued by advice from those who have made their way in our sector…
Hearing from a series of public transport leaders has made the #WomenInMobility podcast one not to be missed.

Launched at the end of June from our team in UITP Australia and New Zealand, the first series has just drawn to a close, so now is the perfect time to take a listen to
all twelve episodes and find out what you’ve been missing.

With UITP ANZ Executive Director Michelle Batsas in the host’s chair, this series is more than your standard interview chat.

Featuring a sit-down interview every week with the women making waves in mobility from Australia, New Zealand and around the world, Women Who Move Nations has covered the big issues impacting public transport and urban mobility.

Alongside our membership we advocate for these vitally important issues every day. We know that we can’t reach a more balanced sector, without hearing from those who are paving the way.

From Managing Directors, Ministers and Company Presidents to Chief Executives, Board Chairs and Heads of Operations…we’ve heard about inclusion, mobility, education, networking and progression across the last three months.

So who has sat in the guest’s chair opposite Michelle?

Up first, Michelle introduced the series to listeners with a chat opposite
UITP ANZ General Manager Angé Anczewska. What would the series entail, what drove them to pick up the mic now and who would they be meeting?

The first full sit-down chat saw Michèle Dix, CBE, Managing Director of Crossrail 2 at Transport for London discuss how she began her successful career in urban mobility and what led her to this point in her work. (Which as Michelle points out, includes her own Wikipedia page!)

From there, we heard the words of Elizabeth Mildwater, Deputy Secretary of Transport for New South Wales, Leanne Redden, Executive Director of Regional Transportation Authority of North-Eastern Illinois, Nicole Rosie, Chief Executive of New Zealand’s Transport Agency and Jessica Oppetit, Head of Operations at Via UK.

By episode six we’d reached the half way mark and up stepped Becky Wood, Managing Director of Transportation – Australia and New Zealand at Aurecon, Loretta Lynch, Managing Director of Transdev Melbourne, Leila Frances, Chairman of the Board of Keolis Downer and President of Middle East and India for Keolis.

From episodes nine to the concluding episode of series one, we heard from the Honourable Julie Anne Genter, Minister for Women, Associate Minister for Transport in the New Zealand Government, Wendy McMillan, President of Australia and New Zealand for Bombardier Transportation, The Honourable Rita Saffioti MLA, Minister for Transport and Planning in Western Australia and with episode twelve, the Honourable Jacinta Allan, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Coordination of Transport: COVID-19 and the Suburban Rail Loop in the Victorian Government.

What an impressive line-up… A huge thank you to all of the guests for their time and engagement!

Within each of these interviews there contains important messages and interesting takes on what a journey through public transport has looked like for our guests.

A huge congratulations to our UITP Australia and New Zealand team, led by Executive Director Michelle Batsas, for creating an inspiring series.

We can’t wait to see who takes the chair in series two!

Catch up on the series in its entirety on the UITP Australia and New Zealand site