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. Senator Tony Sheldon, Senator for NSW, Australian Labor Party
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. The Hon Adam Hatcher SC, President , Fair Work Commission
Justice Hatcher was appointed President of the Fair Work Commission from 19 February 2023. He was Vice President from 2013. Justice Hatcher was also appointed as a Judge of the Federal Court from 19 February 2023. Justice Hatcher was admitted to the bar in 1997 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2010. Prior to that, Justice Hatcher was Chief Legal Advisor with the NSW Branch of the Transport Workers’ Union.
Nikki Britt, Managing Director of NavigateWork
Nikki is a well-respected and passionate health professional, Nikki Britt has spent more than two decades assisting people with an injury, illness, or disease by returning them to work to recover at work. A recognised industry thought leader, Nikki leads Navigate Work providing premium services that support the health benefits of work. Her ability to lead the way and operationalise best practice research into service delivery has ensured the growth and success of the company. Nikki is an established public speaker and sought after presenter in the field of disability management, workers compensation and risk and safety management at work. This includes having presented at, and participated in, International Disability Forums on Disability Management (IFDM) in London, Los Angeles, and Berlin.
Nikki led the investigation team during 2023 into the issues confronting the bus and coach industry, including the image of the industry and its lack of appeal as a career pathway. Nikki is the author of the Recruitment and Retention Policy Manifesto.
Professor David Hensher AM
David Hensher, AM, PhD, is Professor of Management and Founding Director of the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS). In January 2023, David was appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia (OA). David is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia (FASSA).
In January 2021 David was announced as the #1 economist in Australia in research.com/scientists-rankings/economics-and-finance/au. A Director of Volvo Educational and Research Foundation (VREF) Centre of Excellence in Bus Rapid Transit, Emeritus Member of Singapore Land Transport Authority International Advisory Panel 2007-2010 (Chaired by Minister of Transport), Honorary Fellow Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) Academy, Past President of the International Association of Travel Behaviour Research and a Past Vice-Chair of the International Scientific Committee of the World Conference of Transport Research.
David is the Executive Chair and Co-Founder of The International Conference in Competition and Ownership of Land Passenger Transport (the Thredbo Series http://www.thredbo-conference-series.org/), now in its 32nd year.
He has published over 750 papers in the leading international transport and economics journals as well as 17 books and is Australia’s most cited transport academic.
John Lee, Chair of the NSW Bus Industry Taskforce
John is the Chair of the NSW Bus Industry Taskforce which includes representatives of the community, local government, trade unions and employers. John has extensive experience in the private and public sectors, in multiple sectors including tourism, transport, innovation, and sport. He has extensive experience in the bus industry having been MD of two private bus companies as well as CEO of the State Transit Authority, the Director General of Transport for NSW, the Director General of Premier and Cabinet in NSW and Director General of the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport in Queensland.
John has been the Chief Executive of Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) and chief executive of Casinos and Resorts Australia. He has even had time to pursue his first love as NRL Club CEO of both the Roosters and Souths. Whilst in Queensland John also ventured onto the Board of the North Queensland Cowboys.
John is recognised for his leadership skills, strategic thinking, commercial acumen, and strong communication skills.
Ian MacDonald, National Industrial Relations Manager, APTIA
Ian MacDonald is the National Industrial Relations Manager for the Bus Industry Confederation. At the same time Ian heads up the Australian Public Transport Industrial Association (APTIA), which is the industrial arm of BIC. He has been involved in the bus industry for over 25 years, firstly as a solicitor and then as the Industrial Relations Manager for BusNSW and then the National Industrial Relations Manager for BIC. Ian is a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute, has a Bachelor of Laws and Certificate of Transport Management from Sydney University.
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. Roz Chivers, Executive Director, The Bus Industry Confederation
Roz Chivers joined the Bus Industry Confederation in August 2021 as the Executive Director. Previously, Roz was the Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director Policy and Advocacy at the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA). Roz is highly regarded for her advocacy, communication, and engagement expertise. Prior to joining ALGA she spent fifteen years in public services working for the NSW and ACT governments. In that time, she gained an understanding of the passenger transport industry and the moving people task through a variety of roles including leading the transport planning team for the ACT Government at the time when the government shifted its focus to sustainable transport. Roz was also responsible for leading the development of the Belconnen to City Busway project and lead the ‘walking school bus’ project. At the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Roz worked with regional bus operators on projects to tempt regional commuters to use buses rather than cars on their daily commute to Canberra. Varenya Mohan-Ram, National Business Relationship Manager, TWU Super
Varenya Mohan-Ram is the 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. Delaney Myers, Chief Executive, Bus and Coach Association NZ
Delaney is an experienced former senior public servant with roles that spanned regulatory, policy, operations, investment and asset management functions, most recently holding national accountability for public transport at Waka Kotahi and school transport services at the Ministry of Education. Anthony D'Apuzzo, Buslines Group
Anthony is the Managing Director of the Buslines Group who operate bus services in 12 rural areas of NSW and in the Sydney Outer Metropolitan area of Cessnock and the Hunter Valley. Anthony is an elected member to the APTIA Council.
