No Single Route to Success: The Women Shaping the Future of Transport

There is no single route into transport, and certainly no single route to leadership within it.

Across ABM, women with very different backgrounds are building careers and leading teams across transport, aviation, operations, technology, people and communications. Some began on the frontline. Others entered the industry almost by accident. Some have transferred experience between sectors, changed direction or stepped into opportunities before they felt entirely ready.

Their individual journeys may be different, but the same themes emerge repeatedly: curiosity, resilience, the courage to take opportunities, and the importance of having people who recognise your potential.

For an industry looking to attract and develop the next generation of women, making those different routes visible matters.

An unexpected route into transport

Kelly Parish, Vice President, Transport & Aviation UK, describes her career as “varied, exciting and, in many ways, unexpected”. She entered transport facilities management unintentionally 17 years ago and quickly discovered an industry whose pace, variety and opportunity to make a difference appealed to her. She has since held management and operational leadership roles spanning transport, aviation and rail, progressing to an executive role leading Transport and Aviation at ABM UK&I.

Alongside her own progression, Kelly places particular value on the leaders who mentored, challenged and created opportunities for her. That experience has influenced her determination to do the same for others.

“Be open to opportunities, even when they take you outside your usual experience. You do not need to have every answer before taking the next step. There’s always someone to help, so never be afraid to ask.”

That breadth of opportunity is one of transport’s strengths. Operations might be the most visible part of the industry, but successful transport organisations also depend upon technology, customer experience, transformation, people, communications and many other disciplines.

Growing through transformation

Susan Mason-Thomas, Vice President, Technology UK & Ireland, represents another route.

She joined ABM nine years ago as a Project Manager when its Technology function was considerably smaller and progressed through increasingly senior positions into her current leadership role. Her career has encompassed technology strategy, transformation and service delivery as well as responsibility for ABM’s UK&I data privacy programme following the introduction of GDPR in 2018.

Continuous learning has been important. Alongside her career, Susan completed an MBA in Leadership through an apprenticeship programme, an achievement she says strengthened her confidence as a leader. She is equally proud of the Technology organisation she has helped build, which grew from two people when she joined to 22.

“Be open to new ideas and put your hand up when you are asked to get involved in something unfamiliar… Do not assume you need to have every answer before taking the next step.”

And, importantly for anyone who assumes a transport career needs a conventional starting point, Susan says there is no single route into the industry or definition of success.

Leadership built from the frontline

For Michelle Baxter, Operations Director North, leadership was built through hands-on operational experience.

Beginning in frontline and regional roles in aviation, she progressed into senior positions responsible for complex service operations, working across airports, people leadership, contract mobilisation and business transformation. More recently, she led the transition of Assisted Travel services involving more than 1,600 transferring colleagues on a £75 million contract.

Yet when Michelle considers what makes her proudest, she returns to people. Seeing colleagues grow, develop and progress matters alongside major operational accomplishments.

“Be confident in the value you bring and don’t wait until you feel 100% ready before putting yourself forward for opportunities.”

For Michelle, inclusive leadership means ensuring people feel seen, heard and respected, removing barriers and giving colleagues equal opportunities to contribute and develop.

Being brave enough to say yes

That willingness to step forward before feeling completely ready also resonates strongly with Zoe McCurry, Account Director PRS Heathrow.

Her 20-year career has taken her from the airline cabin to leading global aviation businesses. She describes the journey through three characteristics: growth, resilience and saying yes to opportunities that pushed her beyond her comfort zone.

One of those decisions took her to Montreal. She subsequently led the integration of major aviation businesses, although she describes developing people, creating opportunities for others and building inclusive, high-performing teams as her greatest achievement.

“Be brave and say yes to opportunities that stretch you. Build a network, find great mentors, and trust that you can learn and grow along the way. Some of the best opportunities come before you feel fully ready.”

Zoe initially questioned whether an aviation career belonged within a Women in Rail story. In reality, that crossover is part of the point. Proven experience and different perspectives from across transport have the potential to strengthen the wider sector.

You do not have to be the finished article

Leanne Nutter, Retail & Brand Director, offers one of the clearest examples of just how far an unexpected opportunity can lead. She joined ABM in 2002 as a frontline team member at Heathrow and Gatwick. Three years later she moved into the office team, progressing through staffing and talent, client services and travel retail before becoming Director of the division in 2021.

Leanne says she did not begin with a plan to become a Director. She loved the excitement of working in an international airport, worked hard, took opportunities and learned as she went. After moving into staffing, she recruited, trained and scheduled around 2,000 people and became Head of Staffing by 2008 before later moving into client services and becoming Head of Travel Retail.

What makes her proudest is giving other people opportunities, particularly colleagues who begin on the frontline, young people and those who may not have an obvious route into the industry. Her own development was similarly shaped by leaders who saw potential in her. When she was first offered the Director role, she initially said no. Her boss did not accept that as the final answer.

“You know you don’t have to be the finished article.”

It is a lesson she now passes on to others: skills can be taught, potential is not always obvious on paper, and sometimes people simply need someone to open the door and give them a chance.

“Be brave. Don’t wait until you feel 100% ready, because you probably never will. Put yourself forward, ask for opportunities and don’t think there is one route you have to follow.”

Creating the conditions for others to succeed

Charlene Ryan’s career provides yet another perspective: the people strategy and organisational capability behind successful businesses.

With more than 15 years of cross-sector experience, her background encompasses transformation, employee and industrial relations, talent and succession, learning and development, and diversity and inclusion. Before joining ABM, she was Director of HR for the North Retail division at Sainsbury’s, supporting 40,000 employees across 700 stores. Earlier senior HR positions at Royal Mail Group included roles supporting Parcels Operations, Property & Facilities Solutions and Central Operations.

Those experiences have shaped a leadership philosophy built around long-term value, fairness and integrity.

“I want people to trust that decisions are made consistently and for the right reasons, whether they affect a frontline colleague or an executive.”

Charlene describes her leadership style as collaborative and results-oriented, with an emphasis on continuous learning and creating an environment in which people are empowered to contribute, take ownership and perform at their best.

From an unexpected entry into transport to telling its stories

Katrina Campbell’s entry into transport began as a PA to a director. From there she was promoted and built a career in communications, stakeholder engagement and community relations around some of Britain’s most high-profile transport projects.

She worked on transport for the London 2012 Olympics and later on Crossrail, now the Elizabeth line. On Crossrail she supported two of its flagship central London stations, Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road, working across stakeholder engagement and community relations with a wide range of people and organisations affected by and invested in one of the country’s most significant infrastructure programmes. Her experience even included meeting Queen Elizabeth II and appearing in the documentary The £15 Billion Railway.

Today, as Senior Communications Business Partner UKI at ABM, Katrina has a different role. But she says those experiences have stayed with her and helped shape how she approaches her work today. She has always been interested in business and strategy, and sees communications as most effective when it is shaped around a common objective.

“I’ve always been interested in strategy, and so shaping communications around a common objective is key. The principles remain the same: respect, integrity and a solution-based outlook.”

Her route into transport was not one she would have predicted.

“If you had asked me many years ago if I had any interest in working in transport, in all honesty the answer would have been no!”

That unexpected journey is also why Katrina believes strongly in visibility and storytelling. Earlier in ABM’s discussions with Women in Rail, she raised the opportunity to make women’s lived experiences more visible and help broaden perceptions of who might build a career in rail.

She also credits mentors and leaders who recognised her capabilities, created space for her to grow and enabled her to put her own stamp on the business.

“I’ve been really blessed to have mentors and leaders who saw my capabilities and created a space for me to thrive and grow, while putting my own unique stamp on the business. There is real power in sharing the journey, not just the destination. If telling those stories helps another woman recognise that there is a place for her in transport, then visibility really does matter.”

Different journeys. Shared lessons.

Look across these careers and the differences are obvious.

A career beginning unexpectedly in facilities management. A Project Manager progressing into technology leadership. Frontline aviation becoming senior operational leadership. An airline cabin leading eventually to global aviation roles. A frontline airport role progressing into retail and brand leadership. Cross-sector HR experience becoming a platform for developing people and organisational capability. A PA role opening a route into communications and major infrastructure.

But look again and the similarities are just as striking.

Kelly, Susan, Michelle and Zoe each talk about opportunities that stretched them, people who believed in them, learning through experience and now creating environments in which others can succeed. Leanne similarly describes the impact of leaders who saw her potential and her commitment to opening doors for others. Charlene’s philosophy centres on developing people, strengthening teams, fairness, trust and continuous learning.

Perhaps that is the message worth sharing most widely.

Transport needs people with different experiences, disciplines and perspectives. And career progression does not require a perfectly mapped-out journey.

There is no single route into transport. There is no single model of leadership. And where you start does not have to determine where you finish.