Speakers

Robert Wright has been transport correspondent of the Financial Times since July 2003. During that time, he has developed considerably the paper's coverage of all forms of surface transport, but has concentrated particularly on rail. He has written extensively about the UK rail system, particularly the reforms introduced under the Railways Act 2005 and the industry's finances. He has also covered extensively the European and North American rail sectors, as well as shipping and road policy issues. He was named Transport Correspondent of the Year at the National Transport Awards in 2006 and 2008 and was News Journalist of the Year at the 2008 Seahorse Club Awards, for maritime reporting.

Before becoming transport correspondent, he was the correspondent for the FT and Economist in Budapest from 1999 until July 2003, covering issues as diverse as the Hungarian economy, the Kosovo war and the 1999 Turkish earthquake.

From 1997 to 1999, he worked in London for the Financial Times, undertaking a number of reporting assignments. He previously worked for three years for The Scotsman and, before that, for a number of Scottish dailies.

He lives in London, where he cycles nearly everywhere.

                                                                          

Ian Brown
Managing Director - London Rail
Transport for London

Ian Brown is Managing Director of Transport for London’s rail directorate and Chairman of the Docklands Light Railway.  Transport for London is the Mayor of London’s transport agency for the capital. 
He is responsible for implementing the Mayor’s strategy to provide a full integration of National Rail services with London’s transport network and taking forward major National Rail projects in London, including the introduction of the London Overground and major rail service infrastructure upgrades.
London Rail is also responsible for TfL’s light rail activity; DLR and London Tramlink.
Docklands Light Railway is also taking forward a series of major enhancements including additional capacity and new extensions as part of London’s 2012 Olympic Transport plan.
Prior to joining TfL, Ian had a wide range of experience in the rail industry; he was Managing Director of Railfreight Distribution for eight years where he introduced Channel Tunnel rail freight services.
He was previously a member of the Chairman’s Policy Unit at the British Railway’s Board.  Other BR positions included InterCity Manager, West Coast Main Line, and Chief Passenger Manager at London Midland Region

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Michael Lee
Director of Railway Planning & Performance
Office of Rail Regulation

Michael Lee is director of railway planning and performance at the Office of Rail Regulation. He leads on overseeing Network Rail's performance and its stewardship of the national railway network infrastructure by monitoring and enforcing compliance with the network licence. He is also responsible for the provision of expert engineering, asset management and statistical input to all of ORR's activities. After taking degrees in mathematics and statistics he joined BR in 1976 and worked in operational research, marketing and business planning. At privatisation he moved to OPRAF where he developed policy for fares and service specifications and led teams handling the award of franchises before spending eight years in consultancy, the majority as a director of AEA Technology’s Rail business.  He joined ORR in 2005 and the Secretary of State appointed him to the Board with effect from 22 January 2007

                                                                                                                                                                                            


Norman Baker MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport 
Liberal Democrat

Norman Baker has been MP for Lewes since 1997 and has established a reputation as one of the most dogged and persistent parliamentary interrogators the modern House of Commons has known.
Born in Aberdeen, Norman moved to Hornchurch in Essex in 1968 and was educated at the Royal Liberty School, Gidea Park, before taking a degree in German (and being elected three times to run one of the college bars) at Royal Holloway College, University of London.
In 1991 he led the Liberal Democrats to victory on Lewes District Council, becoming that council’s first ever Lib Dem leader. He contested the Lewes parliamentary constituency in 1992, and at his second attempt in 1997 succeeded in becoming the seat’s first non-Conservative MP since 1874, overturning a Tory majority of over 12,000.
He joined the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet in October 2002 as Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, and from 2005 until 2006 as Shadow Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Secretary. In 2007 Norman rejoined the Lib Dem Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office and Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
In December 2007 Norman was promoted and appointed Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Transport by the new party leader, Nick Clegg. This has allowed Norman to continue with his environmental interests by campaigning for batter and greener public transport.

                                                                                                                                                                                            



PAUL MARTIN
Director General
The Railway Forum

Paul Martin is the Director General of The Railway Forum, which is the UK Railway industry’s trade body leading on strategic policy issues and representing the industry to Government.
Paul’s career has included posts as Director General of The Timber Trade Federation and Chief Executive of the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation. He worked within Government at the Ministry of Defence and The Office of Water Services and with CBI Scotland.
He was educated at The Royal High School of Edinburgh and Edinburgh University. He served as an Edinburgh City Councillor for twelve years and as Conservative Group Leader. 
                                                                                                                                             


Stephen Hammond MP
Shadow Conservative Minister for Transport

After graduating in Economics, Stephen began a career in finance at a leading fund management house and subsequently worked for major investment banks. He was appointed a Director of the Equities division of Dresdner Kleinwort Benson in 1994 and four years later joined Commerzbank Securities. In 2000 he was promoted to Director, Pan European Research, with responsibility for seventy professionals based in London and across Europe.Stephen was as elected a Councillor in Wimbledon in 2002 - polling the highest vote of any candidate in the borough. He became Deputy Group Leader and a member of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission. In May 2005 Stephen was elected Member of Parliament for Wimbledon. He was promoted to the front bench as Shadow Minister for Transport in December of the same year. He has specific responsibility for Rail and Buses. 
                                                                                                                                             


Geoff Inskip 
Chief  Executive
CENTRO-WMPTA

Geoff Inskip is Chief Executive at Centro-WMPTA.  He has over 20 years experience in the finance, rail and public transport sectors. Having qualified as a Chartered Accountant, Geoff began working as a management consultant before moving on to work for a merchant bank in Manchester.
In 1988 GMPTE asked him with Kleinwort Benson to look at the private sector options for delivering Manchester’s Metrolink under a Public Private Partnership.
In 1992 Geoff was appointed Director of Finance of GMPTE and in 1996 also became Project Director for Phase 2 of Metrolink, seeing the project delivered to time and within budget in 1999.  He was appointed Deputy Director General in 1999 with special responsibility for Phase 3 of Metrolink. He successfully delivered the approvals for Line 1 upgrades and Phase 3A in 2006.
Geoff took up the position as Chief Executive of Centro-WMPTA in October 2006 and  is actively developing transport solutions which will attract people out of their cars including the delivery of new Metro and Rapid Transit and TramTrain proposals for Birmingham,  the Black Country and Coventry .