Presenters and Panellists

Views expressed by speakers, chairs, presenters and/or panellists are their own. The BIC does not accept liability for advice given, or views expressed, by any speaker at the event or in any material provided to delegates.

   Tony Hopkins, Chair, The Bus Industry Confederation and APTIA

Tony Hopkins is the Chief Executive Officer, Regional Australia Division of ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia (CDC), one of the country’s largest urban, school, and charter bus operators and part of the international ComfortDelGro group. He is a transport, tourism, and logistics expert and bus industry veteran of 40 years, and has delivered comprehensive passenger transport solutions for some of Australia’s most renowned bus brands including Greyhound and Buslink VIVO. Throughout his career Tony has served as a chair, president, vice president and committee member on the executive of various state and national industry associations. He is an active contributor to the community and wider industry, lobbying state, and federal governments to create improvements for with various bus operators across the country. In 2021 Tony was awarded the QBIC Outstanding Achievement Award, and in the same year, his division was honoured with the QBIC Environmental/Innovation Award, and a High Commendation in the 2021 NSCA Foundation/GIO National Safety Awards of Excellence.


  Varenya Mohan-Ram, Executive Director, The Bus Industry Confederation

Varenya Mohan-Ram is the newly appointed Executive director of teh Bust Industry Confederation. Prior to this he was National Business Relationship Manager for the TWU Super Fund - the Superannuation fund for the Transport Industry. Varenya works across multi-industries in transport including the bus sector, aviation sector, road transport sector, waste sector, furniture removalist sector, warehouse sector and refrigerated transport sector. Supporting business has been a cornerstone of Varenya’s career. He holds a Bachelor of Science, a Diploma of Financial Services in Superannuation, Masters Of Business Administration (MBA) and has completed Finance for Senior Executives at Harvard Business School in Boston MA. Varenya works with employers to ensure compliance with superannuation legislative requirements including setting up clearing houses, ensuring their staff is mentally well, and financially prepared for retirement.


 Kirsten Jongsma, National IR Manager, APTIA

Kirsten is the National Industrial Relations Manager for the Bus Industry Confederation. At the same time, Kirsten heads up the Australian Public Transport Industrial Association (APTIA), which is the industrial arm of BIC. Kirsten has almost 15 years’ experience in people leadership roles across multiple industries. Notably, 7 years across the bus and passenger transport industry. Kirsten holds a Juris Doctor from the Australian National University, a Master of Human Resource Management (Employee Relations) and Bachelor of Management (Psychology). Kirsten is also a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) and former State President and Councilor of the NT AHRI Council.

  Senator Tony Sheldon

Anthony Vincent (Tony) Sheldon is an Australian politician and trade unionist. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party and has served as a Senator for New South Wales since 2019. He was previously a senior figure in the Transport Workers Union, serving as state secretary and national secretary.  Tony chairs the Education and Employment Legislation Committee which has reviewed the considerable industrial relations legislation introduced by the Government since their election in 2022.

Eric Abetz MP

Eric Abetz is the Tasmanian Minister for Business Industry and Resources and Minister for Transport and Leader of the House following his election to the Tasmanian Government in March 2024. Previously he was a Senator for Tasmania from 1994 to 2022, representing the Liberal Party, In the Australian Government he was the Minister for Employment and the Leader of the Government in the Senate in the Abbott government from 2013 to 2015.[2] and previously also served as Special Minister of State in the Howard government from 2001 to 2006 and as Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation from 2006 to 2007.