Ehssan Veiszadeh is the Chief Executive Officer of Transport Australia, having commenced in the role in July 2023.

Ehssan’s experience spans public policy, media and small business.

As a senior adviser to the NSW Premier between 2015 and 2021, Ehssan provided strategic advice on a range of issues facing the State, including NSW’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He has previously served as Deputy CEO for urban policy think tank Committee for Sydney, leading advocacy efforts around increasing transport-oriented development, decarbonisation and reopening the economy during the pandemic. Ehssan has also worked in media, including five years as a journalist for Australian Associated Press (AAP) and as a cofounder of a publishing company.

Ehssan serves as President of the Alumni Council at the University of Sydney.

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Adam Copp was appointed as Chief Executive of Infrastructure Australia in 2023.

He held a number of senior roles at IA prior to his appointment as Chief Executive, including as Chief Operating Officer.

Previously, he has held a range of policy, strategy, and engagement roles across infrastructure, workplace relations, and the Council of Australian Governments.

He is a Director of the Board of the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council.

He has a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Global Law, and a Master of Business Administration. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dr Jonathan Spear is Infrastructure Victoria’s Chief Executive Officer.

Jonathan leads the organisation’s work on Victoria’s 30-year infrastructure strategy, research program and provision of independent advice to the Victorian Government.

Before joining Infrastructure Victoria in 2015, Jonathan held senior executive roles with the Victorian Government Department of Premier and Cabinet, Department of Justice, Victoria Police and Slater and Gordon Lawyers.

Jonathan holds a Doctor of Philosophy in History, Executive Master of Public Administration, Master of Laws, Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts (Honours). He is also a legal practitioner, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Williamson Community Leadership Program, and a director of the Melbourne Forum.

Head of Road Safety with Transurban Liz Waller is Head of Road Safety with Transurban, one of the world’s largest toll-road operators with roads in Australia, the USA and Canada. Liz leads a specialist team that works across the group to embed the safe system approach in designing and building new roads, operating and maintaining assets, and developing and communicating driver behaviour change programs. Liz works closely with research institutes on improving safety for vehicle occupants, including children, and new vehicle and road safety technologies.

Jean Francois brings more than 28 years of leadership experience within the Colas Group, having held senior executive roles across France and Europe. Most recently, he served as General Manager for Colas Rail’s France and Europe division, where he led major infrastructure programs and drove performance across a wide range of transport projects.

Since joining Colas in 1997, Jean Francois has held key leadership positions within both the rail and civil construction sectors. His previous roles include Managing Director of Colas Rail Europe, General Manager of Colas Rail France, and Managing Director of Deconstruction France within Colas France. Earlier in his career, he managed Genier-Deforge IDF, a Colas subsidiary focused on deconstruction and asbestos removal.

Monica has over 12 years of industry experience in major transport infrastructure projects across WA and NSW including Sydney Metro West (Western Tunnelling Package), The Northern Road upgrade and Mitchell Freeway Extension works.

As a Design Manager, she is well versed in fostering trusted relationships with clients and leading outcomes focussed teams to deliver outstanding projects that contribute to improving safety, accessibility and mobility for local communities and generate tangible positive impacts.

Tania is a communications and stakeholder engagement professional with more than 15 years experience in major infrastructure and land redevelopment projects.

Her expertise encompasses internal and external stakeholder management, community engagement, business development, and government relations.

Passionate about people and teams, she thrives on maximising performance and witnessing teams “hum” in synergy.

With over 11 years of experience in the construction industry, Rajit has worked on complex and diverse road transport infrastructure projects across Western Australia.

Rajit specialises in structures and most recently, Rajit has led the construction of multiple bridges as part of the Tonkin Gap Alliance. As a leader, Rajit is passionate about mentoring and fostering growth within the industry and is always aiming to support and uplift his team.

Rajit holds a Bachelor of Engineering, Civil and Construction (Honours) from Curtin University.

Outside of work, he enjoys playing and watching sports, travelling with his wife, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Bridget is the Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, and the Leader of the Nationals in the Senate.
She is a former Cabinet Minister, and the first federal female Agriculture Minister and has held a number of portfolios including emergency management, national recovery and resilience, sport, regional communications, education and health.
Bridget was elected Senator for Victoria in 2010.
She holds a Bachelor or Applied Science and Education, specializing in mathematics and physical education. She lectured at Monash University.
Bridget is the author of a biography of former Country Party Prime Minister: John McEwen
– Right Man, Right Place, Right Time.

Jim was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts in July 2022.

Jim Betts has spent over 30 years working in government agencies in the UK, Victoria and (for the last 8 years) New South Wales.

Prior to becoming Secretary, Jim was a partner at strategy consultancy EY Port Jackson Partners, having previously led the New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) as Secretary for 2.5 years. During that period, the department undertook transformational reform in areas like land use planning, water, urban design, sustainability, climate change, biodiversity conservation and energy. From 2013 to 2019, Jim was Chief Executive Officer of Infrastructure NSW where he led the development of 2 State Infrastructure Strategies, oversaw the state’s infrastructure program, delivered major state infrastructure projects and developed a state plan for the construction sector.

Before moving to New South Wales, Jim spent 5 years in Victoria as Secretary for the Victorian Transport Department and 4 years as Victoria’s Director of Public Transport. Jim strives to be a champion for inclusivity and social justice, not least for First Nations people.

Jim was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts in July 2022.

Jim Betts has spent over 30 years working in government agencies in the UK, Victoria and (for the last 8 years) New South Wales.

Prior to becoming Secretary, Jim was a partner at strategy consultancy EY Port Jackson Partners, having previously led the New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) as Secretary for 2.5 years. During that period, the department undertook transformational reform in areas like land use planning, water, urban design, sustainability, climate change, biodiversity conservation and energy. From 2013 to 2019, Jim was Chief Executive Officer of Infrastructure NSW where he led the development of 2 State Infrastructure Strategies, oversaw the state’s infrastructure program, delivered major state infrastructure projects and developed a state plan for the construction sector.

Before moving to New South Wales, Jim spent 5 years in Victoria as Secretary for the Victorian Transport Department and 4 years as Victoria’s Director of Public Transport. Jim strives to be a champion for inclusivity and social justice, not least for First Nations people.

Josh Murray is the NSW Secretary of Transport, leading a team of 30,000 people across the portfolio dedicated to keeping NSW moving. He is focused on delivering a once-in-a-generation transport system that is safe, sustainable, integrated and equitable.

Josh is passionate about evolving our state transport network to offer greater choice and seamless experiences to meet the diverse needs of its users – while driving better results for housing, jobs and the cost of living.
He works collaboratively with passengers, the workforce, industry and across government to unlock better services, economic potential, and social connectivity.

Under Josh’s leadership, Transport for NSW is embarking on a transformative agenda that builds on the commitment of its people and stakeholders, to offer world-class services.

A respected global executive and company director, Josh has 25 years’ experience in government services and the infrastructure delivery sector.

Silje Troseth is the Vice President of APAC at Q-Free ASA. With 20 years of experience in the ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) industry, Silje has been dedicated to advancing solutions that reduce congestion and pollution, enhance road safety, finance infrastructure, and promote smarter cities.

Throughout her career, Silje has collaborated with both private and public sectors across Australia, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, excelling in project delivery, sales, and marketing. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Western Sydney and a Master’s degree from the University of Technology, Sydney.

Angus is a founder and Managing Director of Compass IOT one of the world’s largest connected vehicle data aggregators. Working with vehicle manufacturers, the Compass IOT team is leading the enablement of connected vehicles globally. This helps governments leverage the unique opportunities these vehicles provide for infrastructure planners, operators, safety engineers, and, more recently, for in-vehicle technology used in calculating Road User Charges (RUC). Compass IOT is one of many key enablers for delivering cheaper, fairer, and seamless methods of funding road networks.

Alain Hocke is a distinguished Technical Director and Senior Railway and Civil Engineer with 43 years of global experience in the design, construction, and management of complex railway infrastructure. He possesses specialised expertise in HSR systems, having played pivotal roles in the development of major HSR networks across France, the United Kingdom, China, Taiwan, Morocco, and Canada.

Throughout his career, Alain has demonstrated a consistent ability to lead multidisciplinary teams through all phases of a project life cycle, from initial feasibility studies and Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) to final delivery and commissioning. His technical proficiency encompasses alignment, civil structures, track systems (including advanced HSL slab track), and the integration of signalling and energy systems. Notably, he has served as the Technical Director for the design and construction of  HS2 project northern section in the UK and recently led the technical part of the High Frequency Rail (HFR) feasibility study in Canada, underscoring his capability to manage high-value, international infrastructure programs.

Alison Close is a specialist construction Partner at Clayton Utz with over 16 years’ experience managing and resolving technically complex disputes by way of conventional and bespoke dispute resolution procedures. A contentious lawyer by training, she has spent most of the last decade assisting government or private sector principals resolve issues without formal dispute resolution procedures, including litigation, being called upon. Alison draws from practical experience to assist clients achieve their objectives sooner.

Alison’s hands-on and pragmatic approach to the administration of project agreements during project delivery has supported clients to improve contract documentation at procurement stage. Her background and ongoing experience in formal dispute resolution assists project teams to resolve issues in a strategic and practical manner.

Jim Waller is a highly accomplished infrastructure executive with more than 35 years of experience leading some of Australasia’s largest and most complex major infrastructure programs. He is currently Executive Program Director with the Victorian Government’s Infrastructure Delivery Authority, where he provides strategic and operational leadership for the $26.6bn North East Link Program and the West Gate Tunnel Project.

Renowned for his ability to build and lead high‑performance, multi‑disciplinary teams, Jim oversees large-scale organisations spanning government and industry partners, with direct accountability for governance, financial performance, culture, safety, and delivery outcomes. He has deep expertise across PPPs, design and construct, alliances, and joint ventures, and is widely recognised for his strength in stakeholder management across government, boards, contractors, unions, regulators, financiers, and the community.

Across his career, Jim has held senior executive and project leadership roles with organisations including John Holland and McConnell Dowell, delivering major road, tunnel, rail, marine, energy, defence, mining, and utilities projects across Australia and New Zealand. He is known for driving strategic turnaround in complex environments, establishing robust governance and project controls, and aligning commercial outcomes with safety, quality, and community expectations.

A respected industry leader and board chair, Jim is media trained, deeply committed to leadership development, and passionate about delivering infrastructure that creates lasting economic and social benefit.