Women in Rail Scotland

Leading the Way: Building Careers Through Influence, Change and Leadership Skills

This Women in Rail Scotland event, kindly hosted and sponsored by Mott MacDonald, brings together a panel of experienced leaders to explore how careers in transport and infrastructure are evolving — and what skills are needed to succeed in today’s workplace.

As part of our 2026 theme focused on upskilling and education, this session will explore how the so-called “softer skills” — including stakeholder management, change leadership, communication and influencing — are increasingly recognised as critical to leadership success across the transport sector.

The panel will share personal insights into their career journeys, reflecting on how these skills have shaped their progression into leadership roles. The discussion will also explore the growing importance of coaching and mentoring— both in building confidence and in supporting long-term career development.

This is an opportunity to hear from senior leaders across the industry, ask questions, and connect with peers in a supportive and collaborative environment.

What to Expect

• A panel discussion with senior industry leaders
• Insights into leadership journeys and career progression
• Practical perspectives on developing key professional skills
• Reflections on coaching, mentoring and confidence-building
• Audience Q&A
• Networking with refreshments

Panel

Heather Pritchard – Client Director, Rail

Heather Pritchard is a Client Director in Mott MacDonald’s Rail business, based in Manchester. She holds the role of Client Director – Manchester, with responsibility for client leadership, account management and strategic engagement across rail sector commissions in the North of England.

In her role, Heather acts as a senior interface between Mott MacDonald and its rail clients, supporting the alignment of technical delivery with client objectives, governance arrangements and long‑term investment priorities. She works closely with multidisciplinary delivery teams to ensure commissions are commercially sound, well governed and focused on delivering public value and whole‑life outcomes.

Heather is part of Mott MacDonald’s Rail department and is based from the Manchester Piccadilly office, contributing to regional growth and the development of long‑term client relationships across the rail and transport sector.

Karen Camilleri
Founder & Managing Director, Camilleri Appointments Ltd
Karen Camilleri is the founder and Managing Director of Camilleri Appointments Ltd and brings over two decades of experience in executive recruitment with a specialist track record in the transport industry. Her expertise spans interim, fixed term and permanent senior appointments and she has a proven track record of placing leaders who bring fresh perspectives and tangible results. Karen is especially passionate about the importance of skills-based hiring, and she believes that great talent comes from diverse backgrounds and experiences and diversity of thought is one of the most powerful weapons an organisation can use to develop a competitive edge. Karen also recognises the importance of using her business as a vehicle for good she proudly sponsors  Women in Transport advocating for greater gender diversity in the sector. Karen is a mentor for Women in Transport and she also presents and welcomes each new cohort on the LEAD programme. Karen also sponsors  RFA who support ex-offenders and care leavers back into work. In March this year Karen was invited to speak on the subject Give to Gain by Arriva Group and she will soon have a podcast interview published through Women Of Our Time | The Most Trusted Community for Women. Expert Guidance & Support

www.camilleri-appointments.co.uk

Karen Camilleri | LinkedIn

Sunita Dulai
Head of Transformation, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
Sunita brings over 15 years’ experience leading transformational change across complex organisations, with expertise in stakeholder engagement, operational delivery and building high-performing teams.