Speaker Profiles:

Alice graduated from the University of Warwick with a degree in Theatre and Performance Studies in 2017. Deciding a career as an actor was no longer practical, she successfully applied for a Marketing Assistant role with East Midlands Trains. Alice has since worked her way through various positions, most notably managing the brand transition from East Midlands Trains to East Midlands Railway in 2019. She is now working with the Great British Railways Transition Team to build the brand strategy and implementation programme for Great British Railways. Her love for the industry has been strong since she started working nearly 6 years ago, and the industry has allowed her opportunities she'd never imagined. She has been both a mentee and mentor with Women in Rail since 2019 and was selected at one of CILT's 35 under 35 in 2023.

View Alice's LinkedIn Profile >>

Andrew Haines was appointed as Chief Executive and Board member of Network Rail in August 2018. Prior to this, he served as Chief Executive of the Civil Aviation Authority following a wide-ranging career in the rail industry, which included roles as Managing Director of South West Trains, and Managing Director of the Rail Division for First Group plc. Following the publication of the Williams- Shapps Plan for Rail in May 2021, Andrew was also tasked with establishing interim arrangements for the creation of Great British Railways, alongside his role in Network Rail.

I was drawn to the Network Rail General Management scheme due to its flexibility, opportunity, and ability to pursue any career path within the rail industry alongside the expert training and professional development I would receive.

I spent most of my graduate scheme within the System Operator Function in placements such as Strategic Planning, HS2 Integration, Capacity Planning and Stations (front line). I joined the Freight and National Passenger Operators (FNPO) team initially as a short-term placement at the start of COVID-19 (March 2019) but quickly realised how high profile rail freight became during the Pandemic. Whilst passenger numbers dropped, freight services only increased in line with consumer demand for food and other critical supplies. I wanted to be a part of this shift and promote the importance of rail freight on the economy.

I am now working as a Customer Manager, managing the customer and commercial relationship between Network Rail and Freightliner as well as other smaller operators. This includes delivering on my customer’s business objectives, optimising income generation, and exploring opportunities to promote rail freight and increase growth.

View Megans LinkedIn profile >>