New South Wales Government Independent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulator

safe and reliable transport in New South Wales

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1. Home
2. About ITSRR
3. Organisational Structure
4. Key Personnel

Key Personnel

ITSRR Management

• Management Chart (98kb PDF)

 

Executive Management Team

Carolyn Walsh,

Chief Executive

Carolyn Walsh (BEc, GAICD) was appointed Chief Executive of ITSRR in January 2004. Carolyn joined the NSW Public Service in October 2000 and soon after was appointed Executive Director Strategy in the Office of the Coordinator General of Rail. Her responsibilities included coordinating operational and safety issues between publicly owned rail authorities in NSW. Carolyn provided advice in this capacity to the then Department of Transport on the preparation of the Rail Safety Act 2002. Prior to this Carolyn had extensive experience in the Commonwealth Government in policy development and program implementation in the areas of small business (regulation reform, export programs and access to finance), sectoral policies (particularly in steel, automotive and wood and paper products), science and innovation.

From 1996-1999 Ms Walsh was Minister-Counsellor, Industry Science and Technology, at the Australian High Commission in London.

Len Neist,

Executive Director, Rail Safety Regulation

Len Neist (MSc, BE [Mechanical], Cert IV in Assessment & Workplace Training, Master Project Director [AQF Level 6]) has extensive experience in system safety analysis, planning and management, reliability and risk engineering, major hazard analysis, vulnerability analysis, risk analysis and risk management. Len joined ITSRR in 2008 from Booz Allen Hamilton, where he worked since June 2000 in the systems assurance team in Australia and New Zealand. Previously Len had a distinguished career in the Royal Australian Air Force and was instrumental in the leadership, establishment and growth of the Defence and Strategic Security business for the company.

Len has consulted with a range of rail systems including the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into the Waterfall Rail Accident, Queensland Rail, Australian Rail Track Corporation and Victoria Department of Infrastructure and Department of Transport and Regional Services.

 

Natalie Pelham,

Executive Director, Transport Regulation Strategy

Natalie Pelham (BSc and MSocSc) has worked in the safety field since 1994, initially working in a research unit at the University of Sydney followed by 7 years in with WorkCover NSW where she held a number of senior positions. Natalie moved to the Transport Portfolio in 2003 to join the Special Project Team established by then Minister Costa to design and implement the new Indpendent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulator.

Natalie joined ITSRR as Executive Director, Corporate Strategy in January 2004. Natalie has a Bachelor of Science, Masters of Social Science and a PhD in public health specialising in public policy (regulation) for workplace health and safety.

Simon Foster,

Executive Director, Service Reliability

Simon Foster (GradDipMangt and a Land and Engineering Survey Drafting Certificate) brings over 27 years of technical and management experience in rail covering track, fleet, operations, stations and communications. He was appointed as ITSRR’s Executive Director Service Reliability in April 2004.

Among his career highlights was assignment to the Office of Coordinator-General of Rail (OCGR) on its establishment in June 2000, where he was a member of the team responsible for overseeing final preparations for rail services for the Sydney 2000 Games. Following the Games he remained with OCGR and was subsequently part of the team advising Government on the establishment of what is now ITSRR.

Simon possesses a Graduate Diploma in Management, a Land and Engineering Survey Drafting Certificate, and in 1988 was awarded a Bicentennial Fellowship in Management (the equivalent of a Churchill Fellowship).

Simon has qualifications and current operational experience as a fireman on both steam and diesel locomotives on mainline operations. He is also qualified as an inspector of Permanent Way (track), as well as in the operation of diesel locomotives and in locomotive air brake systems.

 

Paul Harris,

Executive Director, Corporate Services and Planning

Paul Harris (BCom) was a member of the project team that formed ITSRR. He joined the regulator after many years with StateRail in Corporate Human Resources and Business Services management roles.

Paul is responsible for the human resource management of ITSRR's 70 staff and for the financial management of ITSRR.