Michelle Wan
Vice-President, Projects, Hitachi Rail, Canada
Years in the industry: 25
OVER a 25-year career in the global rail industry, Michelle Wan has established a reputation for delivering complex, high-profile signalling projects across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Beginning her career as a project engineer in Canada, she has progressed to now lead more than 100 project management professionals across North America and 60 globally, overseeing a portfolio of 65 active projects in 15 countries.
Her experience spans some of the most operationally demanding rail environments in the world. In Britain, she held significant leadership roles in projects to modernise nearly 60% of the London Underground (LU) network, including the upgrade of the Jubilee and Northern lines and the £2bn Four Lines Modernisation programme. Michelle also contributed to the project to extend the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Stratford International which supported the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Elsewhere, she has supported major resignalling initiatives in New York, delivered operational signalling support during the football World Cup in Qatar in 2022, and continues to oversee rail operations supporting the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, one of the most complex recurring public transport events in the world.
Equally recognised for her leadership style, Michelle has built a culture centred on accountability, trust, and collaboration. Her approach emphasises listening, openness, and empowering teams to contribute ideas and solve problems collectively.
Beyond project delivery, Michelle is deeply committed to mentoring future leaders and advancing inclusion within the rail sector. She actively supports women in engineering and rail through mentorship programmes, industry panels, and advocacy initiatives aimed at increasing representation across leadership levels.
Onicca Seleka
Production Foreman, Pandrol, South Africa
Years in the industry: 19
FROM apprentice to pioneering production leader, Onicca Seleka’s journey reflects the resilience, technical excellence, and forward-thinking leadership that is shaping the future of rail manufacturing.
With nearly two decades of experience at Pandrol South Africa, Onicca has built an impressive career defined by operational expertise, people leadership, and a commitment to driving positive change within the railway sector. Beginning her career in 2008 as an apprentice, she qualified as a millwright artisan in 2011 and developed valuable technical experience before steadily progressing into senior leadership roles.
Onicca’s strong understanding of manufacturing operations, combined with her ability to motivate teams and maintain high standards, led to her promotion in September 2024 to become Pandrol’s first female production foreman in South Africa, managing a workforce of 29 employees.
Entering a traditionally male-dominated environment presented considerable challenges, including resistance and scepticism from some employees regarding female leadership within factory operations. Through consistent communication, fairness, technical expertise, and leading by example, Onicca successfully earned the trust and respect of her team. By encouraging collaboration and involving employees in decision-making, she improved team morale, strengthened cohesion, and demonstrated that effective leadership is defined by competence, vision, and integrity rather than gender. Her success has helped reshape workplace perceptions and inspired a more inclusive culture within the organisation.
Onicca remains focused on contributing to innovation, sustainability, and operational excellence within rail manufacturing. She aspires to take on broader strategic leadership roles while mentoring future industry professionals and championing greater diversity in leadership. Her career progression, perseverance, and commitment to cultural transformation position her as a powerful example of modern leadership and a strong advocate for the continuing advancement of women in rail.
Bian Hong Neo
Chief Civil Engineer and Deputy Group Director, Infrastructure Design and Engineering, Land Transport Authority, Singapore
Years in the industry: 44
BIAN Hong Neo has built an outstanding career spanning more than four decades in civil engineering, making significant contributions to Singapore’s transport infrastructure development and the wider engineering profession. Through her work in consultancy and at the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA), she has demonstrated exceptional technical expertise, leadership, and strategic vision across major rail projects both locally and internationally.
Bian Hong currently oversees key engineering functions including tunnelling, civil design, and architectural coordination. She has played a central role in the planning and design development of the majority of Singapore’s metro network, covering more than 200km and over 160 stations. Her portfolio includes landmark projects such as the Cross Island Line, Thomson-East Coast Line, Downtown Line, Circle Line, Jurong Region Line, and the Johor Bahru - Singapore Rapid Transit Link.
Among her most notable achievements are the Singapore Rail Test Centre and the East Coast Integrated Depot. The Singapore Rail Test Centre was developed to enable comprehensive testing of rail systems before deployment on operational lines, strengthening reliability and operational resilience. Her work on the East Coast Integrated Depot, combining rolling stock maintenance facilities for three lines and one bus depot, reflects her ability to lead innovative and highly-complex infrastructure solutions that optimise land use while meeting future transport demand.
Bian Hong’s international experience further highlights her broad engineering capabilities. She has contributed to major infrastructure projects in Britain, Hong Kong, Dubai, Kuwait, and Thailand, gaining valuable global perspectives in transport engineering and structural design.
Beyond her technical accomplishments, Bian Hong is widely respected for her leadership and commitment to developing engineering excellence within the public sector. She has fostered innovation, strengthened specialist expertise, and encouraged collaboration with industry partners to address complex engineering challenges.
Active involvement in inter-agency committees, standards development, and academic advisory roles demonstrates Bian Hong’s dedication to advancing the engineering profession and supporting future generations of engineers. She is also recognised as a supportive mentor and role model, particularly for young engineers and women in engineering.
Carole Field
Assistant Vice-President, Compensation and Pensions, CPKC, Canada
Years in the industry: 5
CAROLE Field is a highly-respected leader in the rail industry, recognised for her technical expertise, operational credibility, and ability to deliver strategic results in complex environments. With more than 30 years of experience spanning pensions, compensation, labour relations, and business strategy, she has built a reputation for combining strong analytical capability with practical leadership.
Since joining Canadian Pacific (CP) in 2021, Carole has advanced to her current position, where she oversees enterprise-wide pension and compensation strategies across Canada and the United States, managing more than $C 15bn ($US 10.87bn) in pension assets.
Carole’s leadership is defined by her ability to align long-term strategy with operational realities. Known for her hands-on approach, she became a qualified conductor to better understand rail operations first-hand and now regularly works alongside field teams across the network to ensure compensation and pension decisions reflect the experience of frontline employees. This commitment to operational understanding has strengthened both organisational trust and decision-making.
Throughout her career, Carole has demonstrated an exceptional ability to lead transformational initiatives. Under her leadership, CPKC’s primary Canadian pension plan completed a significant 15% portfolio reallocation to fixed income, one of the largest shifts of its kind in corporate Canada. This strategic move reduced risk, improved long-term sustainability, and strengthened pension security for retirees. Her integrated approach to pension management also enabled meaningful benefit improvements in collaboration with CPKC’s largest unions, reinforcing strong labour relations and encouraging innovation across pension functions.
Carole has played a critical role in major organisational change initiatives. During the merger of CP and Kansas City Southern (KCS) to create CPKC in 2021-2023, her team successfully implemented new compensation structures for non-union employees in Canada, the United States and Mexico while respecting merger protections and preserving company culture. In another notable achievement, her team designed and executed a voluntary early retirement programme within two months, enabling long-serving employees to retire with secure pensions while reducing annual payroll costs by approximately $C 10m.
Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Carole is a strong advocate for fairness, inclusion, and industry advancement. As chair of CPKC’s Pay Equity Committee, she leads efforts to ensure equitable compensation practices across hundreds of job classifications in Canada.
Part 1 of Women in Rail Award 2026 can be found here
Part 2 of Women in Rail Award 2026 can be found here
Part 4 of Women in Rail Award 2026 can be found here
