Thought Leaders + Experts

Andrew Swift

Project Manager, Binnie

As a consulting Project Manager with Binnie, Andrew represents the BC Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure leading delivery of highway projects that improve safety and access for communities with updated roadway infrastructure.

Chair of the Conference Organizing Committee 

Kaye Krishna

Deputy Minister, BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

Kaye Krishna, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and former Deputy Minister, Municipal Affairs and Housing. Before joining the provincial government, Kaye led the City of Vancouver’s Department of Development, Buildings and Licensing, and prior to that she worked in the department of housing in New York City and served as a planning consultant to many cities, counties, and states across the U.S. 

Conference Open and Welcome

Sany Zein

Vice President, Infrastructure Management and Engineering, TransLink

Sany is the Vice President of Infrastructure Management and Engineering at TransLink, where he oversees an asset portfolio valued at $14b. Sany is responsible for the capital program development and delivery, major project development, infrastructure funding programs, and bridge operations and maintenance. He is a registered Professional Engineer with more than 30 years of experience in the private and public sectors.

Developing a Capital Program During a Pandemic | January 28 @ 1:00 PM

Efrosini Drimoussis

Director, RBT2 Infrastructure Procurement, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

Efrosini Drimoussis, P.Eng., is responsible for development and implementation of procurements required for the delivery of the construction and ultimately terminal operations of the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project. Efrosini has over 25 years experience in transportation infrastructure design and development, including public-private partnership infrastructure projects from pre-procurement through contract implementation.

Major Project Update: Broadway Subway Project, Pattullo Bridge Replacement, and Roberts Bank Terminal 2 |  January 28 @ 10:00 AM

Ian Pilkington

Chief Engineer, BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

Ian has been with the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure for 30 years, starting as a geotechnical engineer right out of UBC. Ian had held many positions and lived all over BC before becoming the Chief Engineer in 2019, which involved taking over for the now-retired Dirk Nyland.

BCMoTI Response and Preparation for Future Emergency / Disruptions  |  January 26 @ 11:00 AM

Eve Hou

Manager, Policy Development, TransLink

Eve Hou joined TransLink in 2018 and currently leads up policy development for the organization. Her team is responsible for both short and long term policy initiatives and strategic planning, including Transport 2050, the next Regional Transportation Strategy. Prior to joining TransLink, Eve worked for over a decade at Metro Vancouver as a climate change planner. She is a registered professional planner and has a Master’s degree in Planning and a Bachelor’s’ degree in Economics, both from UBC.

Keynote Presentation  |  January 25 @ 10:30 AM

Jesse Skulmoski

Director of Strategic Planning and Active Transportation Grants, BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

Jesse Skulmoski is the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s Director of Strategic Initiatives and Active Transportation Grants. His responsibilities span a diverse portfolio of projects beyond the Active Transportation Strategy including leading the Province’s Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants program and the BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Design Guide – a resource seen to be a global first and anticipated to have a lasting positive impact on planning, design and infrastructure.

BCMoTI Walk, Ride and Roll to a Better Normal – Moving Beyond COVID-19  |  January 27 @ 11:00 AM

Tara Rogers

Director, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, Deloitte LLP

Tara Rogers is an infrastructure professional with over 25 years’ experience. Having worked in a variety of capacities, Tara has gained a comprehensive knowledge of lender, developer, constructor, operator, and public sector drivers in planning and delivering infrastructure projects. Understanding these differing requirements, and planning for them in the project structure has allowed Tara to effectively manage projects across all phases.

Navigating Unforeseen Changes in your Career |  January 27 @ 10:00 AM

Peter Spies

Chief Advisor Engineering, New Zealand Transport Agency (Whaka Kotahi)

Peter is a Chartered Professional and fellow of Engineering New Zealand. He was involved with the establishment and delivery of NZ’s first Alliance – Grafton Gully in 2000 and since then has been involved in the procurement and successful delivery of 15 completed alliances and is a member of the Project Alliance Board of 5 of NZTA’s current alliances.

Waikato Expressway Alliance Project Highlight |  January 26 @ 4:00 PM

Cynthia Albright

FAICP CUD, GISP, Senior Principal, Planning and Urban Design, Stantec

Cynthia Albright has planned and designed award-winning projects, presented, authored, and served as an advisor to countless clients, community groups, and professional peers. Cynthia specializes in using big data from smart phones for analysis and visualization to improve achieve sustainable mobility. She’s an expert in spatial software, a certified urban designer, and fellow in the American Institute of Certified Planners. 

Transit Planning Innovation | January 27 @ 2:00 PM

Remi Desa

CEO, Pantonium

Remi is an entrepreneur with a passion for finding efficiencies and a belief that public transportation is essential for the public good. With a background in operations and logistics, Remi has helped grow start-up businesses in the past to successful sale. Prior to starting Pantonium, he operated a strategic consulting firm that specialized in business processes for transportation organizations. Remi received his electrical engineering and management science degree from the University of Waterloo

Belleville’s Transit Transformation |  January 27 @ 3:15 PM

Josipa Petrunic

 CEO & President, Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium

Josipa Petrunic is the President & CEO of CUTRIC. She is leading the formulation of several national transportation technology trials related to zero-emissions transportation and “smart vehicles” innovation, including the Pan-Canadian Electric Bus Demonstration & Integration Trial, the Pan-Canadian Hydrogen Fuel Cell Demonstration & Integration Trial, and the National Smart Vehicle Demonstration Project. Dr. Petrunic has built up CUTRIC’s consortium to include more than 100 private and public sector companies and organizations across Canada.

Keynote Presentation | January 25 @ 10:30 AM

Rod Cameron

Principal, ENGAGE

Rod has worked in civil and structural engineering design and construction, project management and owner representation and project direction. Following the Christchurch earthquakes he became part of the management team of the rebuild of pipes and roads, as value manager. He strongly believes we need to learn from disasters and be better prepared for recovery, which can teach us better ways of asset creation in normal times.

Christchurch Earthquakes Disaster Recovery  |  January 26 @ 2:00 PM

John Longthorne

Major Projects Director, UK, AECOM

As AECOM’s Director of Major Projects for the United Kingdom and Ireland, John is responsible for developing and leading large multi-discipline teams to deliver major transit and highway projects. With over forty years of experience as a civil and structural engineer, John enjoys focusing on clever engineering that helps to deliver sustainable solutions that enhances a project’s ‘buildability’.

Wessex Capacity Alliance Network Rail, London, UK  |  January 27 @ 8:00 AM

Warren Lemky

Senior Geotechnical Engineer, BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

Warren Lemky graduated in 2004 from the University of British Columbia in Civil Engineering. As a consulting engineer for 8 years he has worked on a variety of urban projects including deep excavation designs, the Evergreen Line Project, Highway 10 Four-Laning Project, and the Highway 17 Expansion. In 2012, Warren joined the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, where he now works in the Geohazards and Slope Stability Group. Warren is also currently the chair of the local Prince George Geotechnical Group, a section of the Canadian Geotechnical Society.

Elephant Hill Wildfire Area Highway Rainfall Thresholds and Operating Guidelines |  January 26 @ 3:15 PM

Jeremy Eves

Head of Sales, Pantonium

Jeremy Eves leads Pantonium’s Transit Mobility Software business, introducing stakeholders and transit agencies to the new concepts provided by the EverRun ODT platform. Jeremy has over 15 years of consultative sales experience building and leading teams for technology startups focused on efficiency and optimization applications. He has a background in software, systems, and project development. Jeremy received his B.A.Sc. (Mechanical Engineering) degree from the University of Waterloo in 2000.

Belleville’s Transit Transformation |  January 27 @ 3:15 PM

Jason Le Masurier

observationalmethod.com

As a Chartered Civil Engineer, Jason first worked in geotechnical design then as a university lecturer in construction management. He now works as a speaker and coach in resilience. Combining his journey of recovery from a severe brain injury, with his PhD in managing uncertainty, he provides organizations and individuals with an example and tools to turn a crisis into a catalyst.

Managing Uncertainty and Post Disaster Recovery |  January 26 @ 10:00 AM

David Cooper

Principal, Leading Mobility Consulting

David Cooper is a transportation planning consultant who planned and delivered projects in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. David recently authored the Canadian Urban Transit Association’s national transit recovery strategy which outlines funding and policy support required from the Federal Government to continue public transit as a lifeline service for essential workers and to ensure long term viability for our transit systems and into economic recovery.

National Transit Recovery | Januray 25 @ 1:00 PM

Derek Stewart

 Director, Safety, Environment & Emergency Mgmt, TransLink

Derek Stewart is the Director of Safety, Environment and Emergency Management for Coast Mountain Bus Company, in Vancouver, British Columbia and is the Director responsible for enterprise safety and emergency management at TransLink. Derek has a background in both marine and surface transportation and holds degrees in biology and environmental engineering technology.

Innovation Chat with TransLink |  January 25 @ 3:15 PM

Sheryl Staub-French

Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and Professor of Civil Engineering, University of British Columbia

Sheryl Staub-French, PhD, PEng, is a Professor of Civil Engineering and Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) at the University of British Columbia (UBC). As Associate Dean, she helps to lead the engineering outreach program Geering Up, promoting STEM skills in youth. She also leads EDI initiatives in the Faculty, is Director of the BIM TOPiCS Lab, and has contributed more than 100 papers in leading journals and conferences. 

Community Partner Presentation: Geering Up |  January 26 @ 1:30 PM

Natalie Cotton

Mechanical Engineering Grad & Former Geering Up Staff, University of British Columbia

Sheryl Staub-French, PhD, PEng, is a Professor of Civil Engineering and Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) at the University of British Columbia (UBC). As Associate Dean, she helps to lead the engineering outreach program Geering Up, promoting STEM skills in youth. She also leads EDI initiatives in the Faculty, is Director of the BIM TOPiCS Lab, and has contributed more than 100 papers in leading journals and conferences. 

Community Partner Presentation: Geering Up |  January 26 @ 1:30 PM

Wendy Itagawa

Executive Project Director, Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project, Transportation Investment Corporation

Wendy is the Executive Project Director for the $1.377 billion Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project at Transportation Investment Corporation. She has more than 20 years of experience in planning, procurement, construction of major infrastructure projects in both the private and public sectors. Her background includes strategic planning, technical design, contract management, intergovernmental liaison, and stakeholder engagement. She holds both a Bachelor and Master of Engineering Degree in Civil Engineering and is a registered Professional Engineer. 

Major Project Update: Broadway Subway Project, Pattullo Bridge Replacement, and Roberts Bank Terminal 2 | January 28 @ 10:00 AM

Lisa Gow

Transportation Investment Corporation

Major Project Update: Broadway Subway Project, Pattullo Bridge Replacement, and Roberts Bank Terminal 2 | January 28 @ 10:00 AM

Graeme Masterson

M.A. Transit Planning Lead, Stantec

Presentation Info Coming Soon.