Thomas Ableman
Most ambitious organisations don’t lack ideas. They lack the confidence to act on the ideas they already have. Somehow, our sector has drained people’s confidence that they’re allowed to do the sensible things they already know they should probably be doing. A lot of my time is spent giving it back.
I work with the people running public transport — chief executives of combined authorities, directors of transport operators, senior officials in government — to help them move at the pace their ambition deserves. My tools are senior facilitation, international comparators and twenty years inside the sector. Right now that includes supporting four UK cities and one global city on their transport integration models, alongside Mini Switzerland, the national demonstrator of Swiss-style integrated rural transport in the Hope Valley, which I originated. I have also given evidence to the UK Parliament transport select committee on integrated transport and to the London Assembly on autonomous vehicles.
Director of Strategy
& Innovation
Transport for London
I was responsible for both strategy and innovation at the world’s largest integrated transport authority, an organisation responsible for serving ten million people every day. I delivered digital partnerships, new innovation processes and the first TfL Customer Strategy.
Founder & CEO
Sn-ap Travel Technology
I founded a venture capital-backed coach startup that grew to a £15m valuation in two years and seven UK cities in three, with the highest customer satisfaction of any UK intercity travel service. Sn-ap didn’t survive the pandemic, but it taught me more than anything that succeeded.
Commercial Director
Chiltern Railways
I was Commercial Director at Britain's most innovative train company, where we doubled revenue from £100m to £200m. We introduced multiple industry firsts, including barcode tickets, mobile ticketing and free on-train wifi — proof that it's possible to innovate even inside a big corporate (Chiltern was owned by Deutsche Bahn).
Freewheeling Associates
Katie-Lee English
Katie-Lee English is a seasoned transport and public policy expert, bringing a wealth of experience from her work at HM Treasury, the Department for Transport, and Ofcom. She has also supported major public sector clients through her work at EY and in the economics consultancy Oxera.
Katie is passionate about problem-solving and excels in streamlining processes to enhance efficiency. She brings to Freewheeling brainpower, analytical capacity, an obsession with getting to the right answer and a fascination with the real-world impacts of policy.
Katie is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Masters in Public Policy.
You can hear Katie on The Freewheeling Podcasthere talking about her time at HM Treasury.
One thing worth knowing before you get in touch: I’m one person with a trusted network, and I’m deliberately picky about fit. If you want an army of consultants and a two-hundred-page report, there are firms for that. If you want pace and momentum, let’s talk.
You don’t need to know exactly what support you need. Book a quick call directly into my diary and we can talk it through together.