IRJ’s editorial team profiles the first 3 winners of our 2026 Women in Rail Award.
Lindsay Fenton
Chief of Operations, TTC NST Project, Alstom, Canada
Years in the industry: 18
DRIVING the transformation of a major manufacturing operation while securing the future of an entire regional workforce is a rare achievement. Over the past 18 years, Lindsay Fenton has done exactly that, becoming one of Canada’s most influential leaders in rolling stock manufacturing through her ability to unite operational performance, stakeholder confidence and community impact.
n her current role, Lindsay leads more than 400 employees in the project to supply new metro trains to Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) from the Thunder Bay plant in Ontario, with deliveries of the fleet running until 2033. Her career progression through increasingly senior leadership roles, including director of technical services, director of production, and site managing director, reflects a consistent ability to guide complex organisations through periods of operational and strategic change.
One of her most significant accomplishments was helping reposition the Thunder Bay manufacturing site during critical transition periods when future workloads and long-term employment were uncertain. By aligning customers, governments, unions, suppliers and community partners, she helped transform the facility from a traditional rolling stock production site into a centre for asset life management and overhaul work. This strategic shift protected hundreds of skilled jobs, strengthened the local supply chain and secured the plant’s long-term viability.
Her leadership also played a critical role in restoring customer confidence following delays to the delivery of major rolling stock orders. As director of production, she helped refocus teams on process stability, quality improvement and workforce development, enabling successful recovery on key GO Transit and TTC projects. Restoring performance made a direct contribution to securing additional contracts for Thunder Bay, including 60 new LRVs for TTC, the overhaul of 272 double-deck commuter cars for GO Transit and, most recently, the landmark order for 420 metro cars for TTC.
Equally respected for her people-first leadership style, Lindsay is known for building strong teams and investing deeply in mentorship and professional development. She has championed initiatives that support leadership growth at Thunder Bay, particularly through mentoring programmes and her involvement with Alstom’s Women of Excellence network.
Beyond industry leadership, Lindsay remains deeply engaged in regional economic development through advisory and board roles across northwest Ontario. Her vision combines industrial growth with community partnership, educational collaboration and workforce development, reinforcing her belief that sustainable business success and community prosperity must advance together.
Manuela Waldner
Chief Financial Officer, Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), Austria
Years in the industry: 3
DELIVERING change at the intersection of finance, sustainability, and mobility requires a leader who can balance commercial discipline with long-term vision. In her current position at ÖBB, Manuela Waldner has emerged as a prominent force shaping the future of rail transport through strategic leadership, operational expertise, and a strong commitment to combating climate change and improving diversity.
Manuela brings a rare combination of technical, financial, and strategic experience to the rail industry. After studying business in Graz and Krakow, she began her career working on the planning of bridge and tunnel construction projects, gaining firsthand experience of complex infrastructure environments. She subsequently developed expertise in auditing, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate valuation at KPMG before spending more than a decade at Boston Consulting Group, where she advised railway operators, rolling stock manufacturers, and infrastructure suppliers across both the public and private sectors.
Since joining ÖBB in July 2023 as its first female CFO, Manuela has played a central role in shaping the organisation’s financial and strategic direction. Her decision to join the company was driven by the opportunity to contribute directly to combating climate change through the development of sustainable transport. Under her leadership, ÖBB continues to demonstrate that economic performance and environmental responsibility can successfully reinforce one another.
Her leadership philosophy promotes trust, accountability, and collaborative growth. She is widely recognised for creating an environment where employees are encouraged to take ownership, develop professionally, and contribute to shared success.
This commitment has translated into measurable progress. The proportion of women employed by ÖBB has risen steadily, alongside increased female leadership representation and apprentice recruitment. Through mentoring initiatives, women’s networks, and professional development programmes, Manuela has helped to establish a more inclusive and future-oriented corporate culture.
Prisca Flattot
Senior Vice-President, Technical and Operational Performance, Systra, France
Years in the industry: 17
PRISCA Flattot has built an outstanding international career combining technical expertise, operational leadership and strategic vision. Beginning her career as a bridge engineer, she has contributed to major rail projects worldwide. Early assignments enabled Prisca to develop extensive expertise in coordinating complex infrastructure programmes such as the Al Mashaaer Al Mugadassah metro in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the Jabodebek LRT project in Indonesia, and Kuala Lumpur LRT3 in Malaysia.
She subsequently moved into project management and technical coordination roles, overseeing the planning, budgeting and engineering of major programmes. Her leadership on projects including High Speed 2 (HS2) in Britain and Etihad Rail Stage 2 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) demonstrated her ability to manage multidisciplinary teams and deliver high-quality outcomes in demanding environments.
Today, she oversees Systra’s global engineering delivery capability by fostering collaboration across international teams and leveraging global expertise to solve local challenges. Prisca also leads the company’s innovation strategy, introducing digital tools and engineering systems designed to improve project performance and operational efficiency.
Her leadership qualities were particularly evident during the Covid-19 pandemic when Systra was simultaneously delivering HS2 and Etihad Rail Stage 2. Facing major operational challenges, Prisca assumed a direct delivery leadership role for HS2 work in India while coordinating international production resources.
She recruited more than 100 staff, reorganised delivery across India, Brazil, the United States, Turkey and the Philippines, and successfully maintained project continuity without major delays. The international collaboration model developed during this period is now applied across major Systra projects around the world.
Beyond the workplace, Prisca is deeply committed to positive social impact and future talent development. She co-sponsors Systra’s partnership with NGOs Bridge to Prosperity and Engineers in Action to design and build pedestrian bridges in underserved areas, improving access to vital services such as education and healthcare.
Prisca also launched the Engineering for Kids programme, which has introduced nearly 4000 children to engineering careers.
Part 2 of Women in Rail Award 2026 can be found here
Part 3 of Women in Rail Award 2026 can be found here
Part 4 of Women in Rail Award 2026 can be found here
