Technology is always in flux, but the Railway Age/RT&S Women in Rail Conference will keep you in the know when it comes to the latest innovations pushing our industry forward. ExploreAI and machine learning benefits, safety improvements through telematics, various advancements in alternative power sources, and much more.
After selling out in 2023, the Women in Rail Conference returns to Chicago in 2024. Expanded to two days—Nov. 5-6—the event is filled with instructive panels that will cover everything from mentorship to advancing your skillsets to match evolving technologies. It will also feature a Metra tour and a luncheon celebrating the achievements of the 2024 RT&S Women in Railroad Engineering and 2023 Railway Age Women in Rail award winners.
Technology & Innovation Panel
Join us for the Nov. 5 Passenger and Freight Rail Technology and Innovation panel, and be part of a conversation with Jean Savage, President and Chief Executive Officer, Trinity Industries; Matthew Dick, Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, ENSCO, Inc.; Michelle Bouchard, Executive Director, Caltrain (Railway Age Women in Rail, 2018); Michael Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Genesee & Wyoming; and Kyle Mulligan, Assistant Vice President of Operations Technology, Canadian Pacific Kansas City.
The panel will be moderated by Patty Long, President, Railway Supply Institute, who has more than 30 years of experience in government relations, public affairs, and communications due to spending the bulk of her career in the manufacturing trade association world. Before joining RSI, she spent nine years with the Plastics Industry Association where she served as Chief Operating Officer and interim CEO. In addition, she spent almost 20 years with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). Long has also served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies where she taught ethics for more than a decade and is currently a member of the One Rail Board of Directors. Long was recently appointed to the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) newly created Passenger Rail Advisory Committee.
“I am thrilled to be back moderating the Women in Rail Technology and Innovation Session this year,” Long says. “I have no doubt that the future of rail transportation will be shaped by technology. I look forward to a thoughtful discussion not only on how companies are innovating, but how we are collaborating as an industry. Only working together can we unlock the full potential of technology.”
The rail industry continues to see the growth of technology, expansion of manufacturing, and enthusiasm at the prospect of new advancements in both the passenger and freight sides. From high-speed rail in North America to the development of new machinery in the maintenance-of-way sector, the emphasis on technology exemplifies both the growth and direction of where we are headed in the industry. Panelists will bring their deep knowledge of these areas to the stage and discuss the innovations they find most promising and beneficial.
Meet the Panel
Jean Savage, President and Chief Executive Officer, Trinity Industries will address improving safety through telematics. Savage was appointed CEO and President of Trinity Industries, Inc. in February 2020 and has served on Trinity’s Board of Directors since 2018. Prior to her role at Trinity, she served as the Vice President of the Surface Mining & Technology Division of Caterpillar Inc., held leadership roles in Caterpillar’s Progress Rail division, and worked in a variety of manufacturing and engineering positions at Parker Hannifin Corporation. Savage sits on the board of multiple organizations, including Parker Hannifin, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation, and the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. She also serves on the Texas A&M University Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology (MMT) External Advisory Committee. Savage is a proud veteran of the U.S. Army and served for nine years as an Army Reserve Intelligence Officer.
Discussing AI (artificial intelligence), will be Matthew Dick, P.E., Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, ENSCO, Inc. He has held previous roles during his 14 years at ENSCO including Rail Division Manager. In his current role, Dick is leading ENSCO’s development of expanded service and solution offerings at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC), ENSCO Rail, and ENSCO’s subsidiary KLD Labs, Inc. Dick has been actively involved with railroad research and technology for more than 24 years, specializing in vehicle/track interaction, derailments, inspection technology, and railcar bearing research. Throughout his career, Dick has investigated approximately 250 derailments and train collisions, including serving as an onsite subject matter expert during the 2008 Chatsworth Collision NTSB investigation. His contribution to railway safety improvements includes leading the delivery of North America’s first Autonomous Track Geometry Measurement System (ATGMS) and deploying the V/TI Clusters Artificial Intelligence algorithm, which both have significantly reduced track-caused derailments. Additionally, Dick holds 10 patents in railway safety technologies.
Michelle Bouchard, Executive Director, Caltrain will cover the $2.44 billion Electrification project that she is overseeing, which will transform Caltrain service once it is completed and in revenue service this fall. Bouchard has more than 25 years in the transit industry. She also has a long history with Caltrain, having spent more than 20 years in progressively responsible positions. Bouchard has overseen the implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) and completion of the Strategic Business Plan, including a Long Range Service Vision for the railroad. In 2018, she was named one of Railway Age’s Women in Rail Award honorees, in recognition of her experience, leadership skills, contributions to the industry, and community service. She serves as Chair of the San Francisco Peninsula Rail Program Executive Steering Committee and Vice Chair of the Commuter Rail Coalition.
What role will autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles play in the freight industry? Michael Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Genesee & Wyoming’s North American operations will address this and more. He is responsible for strategy, capital deployment, operations support, and corporate culture. Prior to his current role, Miller served as President of G&W North America, overseeing both commercial and operating functions, and Chief Commercial Officer of North America, responsible for all commercial functions. Before G&W, Miller managed Norfolk Southern’s (NS) Modalgistics supply chain organization, was Vice President of Strategic Development for Derivion Corp., and held numerous logistics-related positions with Georgia-Pacific and Roadway Express. Miller has served as a member of the Council for Supply Chain Management Professionals, an advisory board member of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce’s Supply Chain Leadership Council, and a steering committee member of the Freight Advisory Task Force.
Kyle Mulligan, Ph.D., Assistant Vice President of Operations Technology, CPKC, will discuss alternative-power locomotives, including his railroad’s Hydrogen Locomotive Program, which began in December 2020 with the retrofit of an existing diesel-electric linehaul locomotive. As a leader at CPKC, Mulligan strives to deliver results on time and on budget, while also mentoring those around him. He is trained and qualified as a locomotive engineer, conductor, freight car inspector, welder, and leadership coach. He has used his first-hand experience to further understand impacts of the systems that he designs for operations in the field, including never-before-seen industry technologies such as: broken rail detection in dark territory, predictive acoustic bearing failure technology, cracked wheel detectors and top of rail surface scanning systems. He is a two-time recipient of CPKC’s CEO Award for Excellence, was named as one of Railway Age’s 2018 top 10 under 40, and has received back-to-back 2018/2019 Railway Association of Canada (RAC) safety awards. He is an active member of the community and serves as a mentor with FIRST, a group that inspires young people’s interest and participation in science and technology.
Supporting Organizations
Industry support for the Railway Age / RT&S Women in Rail Conference is already strong, including sponsorship and promotional partnerships with: TrinityRail (platinum), RailWorks (cocktail reception), CSX (gold), CN (luncheon), R. J. Corman (registration), Amsted Digital Solutions (bronze), Genesee & Wyoming (bronze), Union Pacific (morning coffee break), Edna A. Rice Executive Recruiters, Inc. (morning coffee break), The National Association of Railway Business Women, and The League of Railway Women.
Learn More
- View the full program and register for Railway Age / RT&S Women in Rail 2024.
- To inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact Jonathan Chalon at jchalon@sbpub.com or (212) 620-7224. View the sponsorship kit>>
Don’t Forget!
Through Oct. 1, Railway Age is accepting nominations for its 2024 Women in Rail Awards program, which will honor 20 trailblazers for their achievements in our November issue. These outstanding railroaders will be selected based on their leadership, vision, innovation and accomplishments. This award celebrates female leaders in rail and pioneers with a track record of breaking down barriers and helping to create industry opportunities for women. Entries will be judged by KellyAnne Gallagher, CEO of the Commuter Rail Coalition, and Barbara Wilson, Senior Advisor at Railroad Financial Corporation—both of whom will participate as session speakers and moderators at the Railway Age / RT&S Women in Rail Conference. Submit your nomination now>>
