Thomas Ableman
I help leaders in transport and mobility make change happen. For over 20 years I’ve seen how bureaucracy, politics and slow decision-making can hold good people back — and I’ve learned how to cut through.
Through events, leadership support and hands-on projects, I work alongside changemakers to build momentum, remove barriers and deliver results customers can actually see and feel. If you want to move faster, with less wasted effort, let’s talk!.
Click here for Freewheeling Associates
Director of Strategy
& Innovation
Transport for London
Responsible for both strategy and innovation at the world’s biggest integrated transport authority (ten million people every day). Delivered digital partnerships, innovation processes and the first TfL Customer Strategy.
Founder & CEO
Sn-ap Travel Technology
Founder of venture capital-backed startup that grew to £15m valuation in just two years and seven UK cities in three years. Built a high-performing team from scratch. Highest customer satisfaction of any UK intercity travel option. Learned what it really takes to move fast and keep customers at the centre.
Commercial Director
Chiltern Railways
Responsible for revenue and growth at Britain’s most innovative train company. Doubled revenue from £100m to £200m. Introduced multiple industry-first innovations including barcode tickets, on-train wifi, information on Twitter, bluetooth ticketing and more. Proof that it’s possible to innovate, even in a big corporate (Chiltern Railways was owned by Deutsche Bahn).
Director of Product Development
National Express
Part of team responsible for annual strategic plan, led development of customer proposition and introduced new routes and services.
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 Podcast here talking about her time at HM Treasury.
Things We can do for you
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Energising conference sessions, leadership awaydays and board discussions that give changemakers fresh ideas, practical tools and the confidence to act.
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One-to-one or small group sessions where leaders get space, clarity and a critical friend to help them cut through bureaucracy, make decisions faster and land visible wins.
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Hands-on work with leadership teams to get change moving: improving decision-making, keeping customers at the centre and turning plans into results people can see and feel.
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Bringing fresh perspectives and real-world insight to help changemakers reimagine what customers need, design better propositions and connect leadership decisions with frontline reality.
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Through the Freewheeling blog and podcast, changemakers get a steady flow of stories, tools and insights; sparking new thinking and making it easier to lead change with confidence.
To hear more about how we can help please book a free consultation now or email me.
Highlights from the Blog
Let’s Chat
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.
five bite-sized doses of inspiration for ways to get your organisation moving forward faster