Welcome to the 8 Questions, where we ask senior figures in the sector the questions every business leader and ambitious professional wants answered. In this edition, we asked Joan Saunders-Reece, Transport for London's Operations Emergency Planning Manager and the Victoria Lines first female Automatic Train Operator, with over 30 years working in the industry how do you think it’s changed?
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It was all purely by accident! When I was younger I wanted to get into Aviation Ops but while waiting, a job for a Guard/Emergency Train Driver appeared in the Evening Standard. I wasn’t even sure what the job entailed but I went along to find out more and that was the beginning of my long career with London Underground!
I think being the first female Train Operator on the Victoria Line is one of the biggest highlights for me so far. I was also a Duty Train Manager on the District Line and Emergency Response Unit Duty Manager – both of which were the hardest jobs to get into at the time and it was unheard of for females when I took the roles.
Work out what it is you want to do and then have a plan A, B and C as sometimes things don’t always go the way you’ve planned. Even if you have to change your plans, the skills experience and knowledge that you may have gained in taking a detour will always come in useful somewhere in the future.
We not only need to acknowledge that everyone is different in their own way. but also embrace that talent that this brings with it into the transport industry. Sharing knowledge and best practice around means that we can all learn and make improvements.
STEM has been great in introducing and bringing more females into the industry and I wish that it was available when I first started my career. When I go on worksites or into areas involving the engineering side of the business, it is great to not only see the apprentices from a range of backgrounds but also those who have progressed in their careers and now holding Project Manager and above positions for some challenging work that has been taking place in the capital
That’s an interesting question. I’ve been to many a meeting where I am the only black female person around the table and sometimes it means proving myself before the meeting has even started. However, my main theme has always been safety, and once people see that this is an area that I won’t compromise on - coupled with my knowledge - I find that people are more accepting of me.
Personally, there is still not enough females that look like me in senior positions, but we have most certainly come a long way from what it originally was when I first joined. What we need to do is continue to acknowledge the work of people like me and at the same time encourage and support those that look like me to consider a career and apply for the many positions out there.
People are working longer because of improved health/life/family circumstances, and we need to encourage those with the skills, knowledge and experience to continue working where they can. Equally, when people leave, we need to ensure that knowledge is not lost and passed onto the next generation. This is the only way we can work together to reduce the skills shortage that the industry is currently facing.
Well there is definitely much more opportunity for people and across the industry we definitely have more females working in areas that were unheard of when I first joined. Workplaces have also improved and it is now common place to have appropriate facilities and suitable personal protection equipment etc. I also feel that TfL has become much more family friendly in the fact that its not so rigid as in previous years. People can now step away from their career to have the family and return to work, meaning more females can now progress their careers further which is definitely a positive thing for the industry.
Joan is a versatile and vastly experienced transport professional. With expert knowledge of Resilience Planning, Logistics, Risk Management and Crisis Management.
She started her thirty plus year career in the transport sector as the first female Automatic Train Operator on the Victoria Line.
Joan has continued to pioneer within the sector by holding positions such as Train Maintenance Instructor, Line Trouble-shooter, currently Operational Emergency Planning Manager and Associate Lecturer at the world renowned Emergency Planning College. Positions women weren't traditionally considered for.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the CIHT or its members. Neither the CIHT nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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