Joint Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director, Rolling Stock and Customer Services (RSCS)
In her day-to-day role, Aglaja oversees the delivery of new train fleets across the UK, including the cutting-edge Piccadilly line trains assembled at the company’s state-of-the-art Goole Rail Village. Her Rolling Stock and Customer Services remit is also responsible for the maintenance, modification, and upgrade of existing fleets through a nationwide network of Siemens Mobility depots, helping to keep passengers moving safely and reliably every day. She brings extensive experience in the delivery of large, complex rail programmes and has held senior leadership roles across Siemens Mobility, including leading the London Deep Tube Upgrade Programme. Her work has been central to strengthening customer partnerships and the delivery of major rail initiatives across the business. Aglaja is a strong advocate for collaborative leadership, digitalisation, and developing future-ready skills within the rail industry. She is recognised for her people-focused approach and her commitment to supporting the long-term transformation of rail travel and transport.
Alex Kirk is Commercial Director at GB Railfreight and a board member of the Rail Freight Group. He has extensive experience across the UK rail industry, having begun his career at Network Rail where he held a number of senior operational and commercial roles. Since joining GB Railfreight in 2020, Alex has led major infrastructure and customer contracts, supporting critical national projects and driving the development of new freight services across key sectors. He brings a strong focus on performance, customer delivery, and long-term sustainable growth, alongside a deep commitment to recognising and developing talent across the rail industry.
Apeksha Naik, Rail Industry Inclusion & Belonging Lead, has worked in the transport industry for over 20 years and is a driving force behind cultural transformation across the UK rail sector. She leads the cross‑industry Inclusion, Belonging & Wellbeing Community of Practice, which is inputting into the design of Great British Railways. It brings together operators and industry bodies to create a consistent, evidence‑led, impact-based approach to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). This work is building a scalable framework that strengthens psychological safety, representation and belonging industry-wide.
Beyond her formal role, Apeksha mentors several industry colleagues and is widely recognised for being Co-Chair of Rail Unites for Inclusion, using the platform to elevate and champion diverse voices, share best practice and foster a more connected, inclusive industry culture. Her passion, expertise and collaborative influence have enabled her to bring together partners working on EDI in rail, across transport and externally to support social mobility and to achieve the aim of making the industry, and society in general, more inclusive and diverse so it’s more reflective of the communities served so they can better be served.
International award-winning advisor to businesses with extensive corporate memory and expertise in the implementation of strategic business development underpinned by social value impact. Chris’s ethos is simple; the prosperity of business and society are intrinsically linked. One cannot succeed without the other.
Recognised for developing strong data driven collaborative partnerships across transportation, communities, and government departments, which have significantly driven the responsible leadership agenda in UK transportation. 2002 Created the first TOC Community engagement programme post privatisation which was then accelerated across the UK creating a collaborative framework with stakeholders which culminated in reducing youth route crime by 54% across the UK.
Co-Author of The Guide to Responsible Business which supported the blueprint to the Sustainable Rail Strategy. Architect for the Personal Safety Badge for UK Scouting and Founder of Rebuilding Futures Alliance created to break the cycle of re-offending through employment.
Chair of the UK Scouts Association Fundraising Committee (Voluntary) and NED. Recipient of 17 national and International Awards including ITV Yorkshire Society Special Award and The Queens Award for Innovation for a KTP with Education.
Claire Hogan, Head of HR at HS2 Ltd, has spent over 30 years working across rail, infrastructure and other highly regulated public service environments. She supports strategic HR across multiple corporate functions within Europe’s largest infrastructure programme - partnering with senior leaders to strengthen organisational effectiveness, workforce capability and fair, transparent people governance. Claire’s rail career spans more than a decade at senior leadership level, including her role as Head of HR at West Midlands Trains, where she led reward and recruitment services for a workforce of around 3,000 employees operating across complex railway contracts. A Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, Claire is passionate about recognising the contribution of people at every level of the railway. She brings strong judgement, sector insight and a people‑first perspective to her role as an independent judge for the Rail Staff Awards.
Jemma Hancock is Head of Organisational Development and Culture, bringing over 12 years of leadership experience in HR within the rail sector. Her career spans HR business partnering, large‑scale projects and organisation development, supporting colleagues at all stages of their careers. Jemma’s portfolio covers organisational policy, change programmes, people data and reporting, equality, diversity and inclusion, and wellbeing, giving her a broad and pragmatic perspective on building inclusive, high‑performing organisations.
Kirsty has 30 years’ experience in UK and global businesses including leadership roles at Network Rail, East Midlands Railway, 2 Sisters Food Group and Molson Coors Brewing Company. Kirsty joined the rail sector in 2015 and joined Network Rail in 2021.
In her role as People & Transformation Director Kirsty has led the strategic transformation of industrial relations to deliver significant business benefits and is supporting the industry’s transition to Great British Railways. A longtime supporter of skills, training and supporting the next generation into rail careers, Kirsty has been Chair of the Train Driver Apprenticeship standard since 2017 and overseen the launch of the new apprenticeship. With more than 1,000 apprenticeships underway, over £1 million of apprenticeship levy has been released back to fund further training for the sector. Kirsty also undertakes voluntary work as a non-executive board member for NSAR, mentors for Women In Rail and served on the pension benefits committee for Network Rail."
Maro Sakpere MCIRO is an accomplished railway professional, award-winning ambassador, and passionate advocate for equity, inclusion, and social mobility within the UK rail industry. With over eight years of experience,
Maro’s career reflects a journey defined by resilience, determination, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Maro began his railway career at grassroots level as a Train Dispatcher and Customer Service Assistant with Govia Thameslink Railway, undertaking safety-critical responsibilities and delivering high standards of passenger service. Driven by ambition and a desire to grow, he progressed into engineering roles, becoming an Assistant Service Engineer and subsequently a Service Engineer from 2019. His progression has not been without challenge, facing barriers and setbacks along the way, but through perseverance, continuous professional development, and the support of mentors and mentoring others, Maro has carved out a respected and impactful career within the industry.
His dedication and influence have been recognised through multiple accolades, including winning Ambassador of the Year at the RailStaff Awards 2025 and the Multicultural Apprenticeship Award (Transport and Logistics category). These honours reflect both his professional excellence and his commitment to championing diversity and representation across the sector.
Maro holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (2:1) from Kingston University and completed a Level 4 Passenger Transport Operations Manager Apprenticeship. He is a full Member of the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators (MCIRO), a milestone he is particularly proud of, and actively advocates for the institution’s programmes to support the development of future rail leaders.
Passionate about creating a more inclusive and equitable railway, Maro uses his platform to open doors for others, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, so they do not face the same barriers he encountered. He strongly believes the rail industry is a powerful driver of social mobility and is committed to ensuring it remains accessible, fair, and representative of the communities it serves.
As a judge for the RailStaff Awards 2026, Maro brings not only technical expertise and operational insight, but also a deep appreciation for the people behind the industry, those whose dedication, resilience, and innovation keep the railway moving every day.
RailStaff Editor, Matt Atkins, has worked in journalism and publishing for over 15 years. In that time, he’s worked for numerous trade publications focusing on sectors as diverse as high finance, recruitment, maritime shipping, and now rail. Matt joined Rail Media from the academic publisher, Taylor & Francis, where he edited leading journals covering the humanities, science and technology, and medicine.
Mike Roberts has been on the railway since 2018, serving as a Railway Mission Chaplain in the North West. His work involves supporting railway staff through traumas, personal and professional challenges. He is passionate about seeing people do amazing things and celebrating our railway family. Mike, who has worked for over twenty years in pastoral care and wellbeing, enjoys both reading and writing and heading out for a day with no idea where he will end up.
Monica Barbosa has worked in the transportation sector for over 16 years, officially joining the railway industry in 2018. Throughout her career, she has played a significant role in the rail supply community, actively championing SMEs, apprenticeships, and wider industry collaboration. She now holds the position as Client Account Lead for Transport for London and East West Rail at Jacobs, where she is responsible for leading client engagement, strengthening strategic relationships, and supporting the successful delivery of major transport programmes. Across all her positions, she has remained a passionate advocate for social value, leading initiatives that deliver meaningful community impact and advance client ESG priorities. Monica is deeply committed to the rail and wider transport industry. She actively champions equality, inclusion, and diversity, and is particularly dedicated to inspiring and empowering the next generation, especially women, to pursue rewarding careers in transportation.
Paul was appointed Managing Director and CEO of Stadler Rail Service UK in 2022, following his recent promotion he assumed additional regional responsibilities in 2026 as Head of Region for Stadler Rail Service Transatlantic. Paul joined Stadler Rail Service UK in 2020 as UK Engineering Director and was later appointed Deputy Managing Director, before assuming the role of Managing Director/CEO. In his expanded role as Head of Region Transatlantic, Paul now provides strategic leadership across both UK and transatlantic operations, supporting business growth, operational excellence, and collaboration across international markets. Paul began his career on the Tyne and Wear Metro as an Apprentice Mechanical Fitter in 1995. Over three decades, he has held a wide range of operational and engineering leadership roles, progressing steadily through the industry. In 2017, he was appointed Head of Fleet Engineering at NEMOL/Nexus, where he led significant fleet and engineering initiatives. In his current UK leadership role, Paul is responsible for all maintenance activities across Stadler locations in Newcastle, Liverpool, East Anglia, Glasgow, Wales, and Leicester . As Managing Director, he also supports new sales activity, working closely with rail operators and industry leaders to drive improvements across the UK rail sector. His transatlantic responsibilities further strengthen alignment between regional teams and Stadler’s global servicing strategy. Paul chairs the Senior Leadership Team, which meets regularly to oversee all aspects of the business, including safety performance, operational delivery, and long-term strategy. He reports directly to the Executive Vice President of Stadler’s Servicing Division and regularly travels to Bussnang and St. Margarethen to participate in executive meetings and strategic workshops. Paul was awarded an MBA in Strategy and Leadership from Northumbria University in March 2023, further underpinning his commitment to strong, values driven leadership and continuous improvement.
Phil has over three decades of experience working in the UK rail industry, starting his career as an apprentice engineer with British Rail, before joining the management programme with English Welsh & Scottish Railways (EWS). During his time with EWS, which became DB Cargo (UK), he managed engineering depots, capex investment projects and organisational change programmes, before moving into risk management in a senior HSE role. Secondments to operations as an Area Manager gave Phil a well-rounded view of how a rail organisation operate before he was appointed Head of Safety for DB Cargo (UK). In 2017, after 25 years in the rail freight sector, Phil joined the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), where he worked wide range of organisations, helping shape their strategies through the adoption of products and services. In 2024 he joined Transport UK Group, providing leadership in risk management and sustainable development. Phil is a member of Parliamentary Advisory Committee for Transport Safety and the Chair of the RSSB Safe Insights Working Group.
Sam is a Company Director at SLC, with responsibility for leading the Engineering, HR and Marketing functions. She is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, with nearly 30 years’ experience delivering and managing multidisciplinary engineering projects across the rail sector. Sam has a strong track record in new stations and railway infrastructure, combining design leadership and project management with strategic rail development roles. She is experienced in all stages of scheme development and delivery, including working within the complex operational railway environment and brings a clear understanding of environmental considerations and the wider implications of development, helping to anticipate and manage potential challenges to schemes.
Alan Ring is the CEO of HALOS, a technology firm dedicated to helping businesses enhance safety, accountability, and efficiency.
HALOS' body-worn camera solutions are trusted across industries – from private security and retail, to hospitality, transportation and logistics – and designed to excel in today’s most dynamic and demanding environments.
Glynis joined Freightliner Group in March 2016 as HR Director.
She is a passionate advocate for the development and modernisation of the logistics industry, with a particular focus on advancing gender equality and creating inclusive workplaces. Corporate Social Responsibility is central to Glynis's values and to Freightliner's culture. She actively supports initiatives that strengthen local communities, including grassroots sports programmes, community activities, and charitable endeavours, reflecting Freightliner's longstanding commitment to social responsibility. Prior to joining Freightliner,
Glynis served as Head of Human Resources for FTSE-listed Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) PLC, a global diversified mining company with operations spanning Europe, South America, Africa, and Kazakhstan. In this role, she gained extensive international experience leading HR strategy across diverse and complex organisations. Before ENRC,
Glynis spent approximately 16 years in a variety of senior HR roles within the financial services sector, working across leasing, consumer and business finance, and insurance businesses. Throughout her career, she has built a reputation for driving organisational transformation, talent development, and people-focused business strategies that support sustainable growth and performance.
John's personal journey with TBF, which began in 1998, is a testament to the transformative power of our charity. His deep passion for the charity sector is fuelled by the knowledge that TBF's support can make a significant difference in the lives of public transport workers and their dependants during times of need, hardship and distress.
John started his career path as a guard at LUL and later transitioned to a train operator role. However, his career in operations was abruptly halted by Type 1 Diabetes. This personal experience of adversity led John to a new path in administration, where he found a new purpose in supporting others.
With an impressive 60,000 contributing members, TBF's impact is far-reaching. It's not just the members who benefit, but also their partners and dependent children, showcasing the diverse range of people who can find support in our fund. In the current financial year, TBF is projected to allocate £3 million on direct benefits to its beneficiaries. This substantial investment in the well-being of its members is made possible by the modest membership fee of just £1.25 a week, gift aid, donations and investments.
John says he is incredibly proud to be part of TBF as it is not every day that you can be part of an organisation that makes such a difference to people when they need a helping hand, and each year that passes, more and more help is required. He would like all employing companies within the public transport sector to appreciate the difference TBF membership can make to their employees' work-life balance, which helps reduce employee turnover. Some employers have agreed to “Employer Paid” and pay their staffs' £1.25 weekly contribution, as they see this as a benefit they can afford, and demonstrate they care about their employees' wellbeing.
Kevin Bonanno heads up the Rail business unit at Telent, having joined the company as Business Development Director in January 2017.
He oversees a team that provides integrated telecommunications solutions across much of the UK’s rail infrastructure, including for Network Rail, HS1, HS2, Train Operating Companies, TfGM, Transport Scotland and Mersey Travel. Along with his leadership team, Kevin leads the end-to-end Rail business from bidding through to delivery and service, delivering excellence and value for Telent’s customers and the rail industry.
He is a firm believer in empowering managers to make decisions and look for the best way to deliver their projects and services, even if that includes adopting new technologies and new ways of working.
Mark Smalley is UK Sales, Bids & Business Development Director for Hitachi Rail’s Signalling & Rail Solutions business, with extensive experience across urban, mainline, high-speed and light rail sectors.
Throughout his career, Mark has worked with transport authorities, infrastructure managers and operators across the UK and internationally, helping to introduce innovative technologies that improve railway performance, passenger experience and network sustainability.
With experience spanning major rail and light rail programmes across the UK, Australia and New Zealand, Mark is a strong advocate for technology-enabled transformation and collaborative partnerships that deliver lasting value. As a judge for the Innovation & Technology category, he brings a broad industry perspective and a passion for recognising solutions that drive meaningful progress across the rail sector.
With a career spanning the last two decades in the facilities management sector, and having worked his way up from the front-line, Paul is passionate about championing ethical labour practices and driving positive change.
As CEO of Carlisle Support Services, Paul leads the executive team, ensuring the business strategy remains aligned with the company's employee-first culture and customer-centric values. As an operational and commercially focused leader, Paul ensures that Carlisle continues to deliver on their commitment to being the industry’s ‘most trusted partner’, which it does by being completely transparent and honest in all that it does.
Dedicating his 37-year career to the Rail Industry he has a wealth of knowledge in Customer Service, Learning and Development and Operational Management, Paul is the Business Development Director for Rail at Train’d Up. For the past seven years with Train’d Up delivering apprenticeships to a range of Train Operators, Freight Operators and other service providers within the Rail Industry where they have achieved remarkable recognition, being named the 2nd most successful large training provider in the country for two consecutive years.
Paul will be key in expanding the companies award winning rail operations successes into rail engineering apprenticeships and training. Previous roles have included Train Driver, Trainer, Operations Manager and Training Manager with responsibilities including competence management, training of railway personnel and the management and investigation of rail operational incidents.
Paul is deeply committed to the rail industry and actively champions programs that promote it as an attractive career choice to a wide and diverse audience.
Sarah brings almost 20 years’ experience across education, training, and qualifications, having worked with training providers and the awarding body Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA).
As Group Head of Training at Readypower, Sarah oversees the training function, supporting the development of Readypower employees and working with learners and employers across the sector. She also oversees quality and compliance across Readypower’s approved training provision.
Sarah has extensive experience supporting centres with construction, plant, and infrastructure qualifications, including centre approvals, qualification requirements, and training plans.
Having recently qualified as an assessor, she is looking forward to putting her qualification into practice, supporting learners across a range of qualifications, with a particular focus on Leadership and Management. She has also recently become a voluntary Enterprise Adviser and is looking forward to strengthening links between education and employers and promoting career opportunities across the sector.
