Let’s be honest: most people arrive at conference sessions with low expectations. I enjoy proving them wrong.
SPEAKING
I speak at conferences, leadership awaydays and board sessions across the transport world, from Oslo to Vienna, and have taught on the LSE Cities Executive MSc.
Audiences get stories from inside the system from someone who believes its problems are fixable — and can show where to start.
Three talks, ready to go
What is transport integration, and why is it so hard?
Everyone says they want integrated transport. Switzerland has actually built it. Drawing on years studying the Swiss model and originating Mini Switzerland, I explain what integration really means, why it’s so difficult — and what to do first.
The characteristics of an innovative organisation
Innovation has very little to do with having an accelerator. Drawing on TfL, Sn-ap and work across transport and tech, I explore what innovative organisations do differently in their everyday decisions — with practical behaviours teams can use immediately.
The opportunities and threats of AI in transport
AI will change how transport is planned, operated and experienced. This talk cuts through the hype and fear: what’s actually coming, what it means for organisations and people, and the choices leaders need to make now.
Watch me in action
Liveability in cities at the 2024 Smart Mobility Summit
Decision-making and data in transport at Interchange 2025
Further examples:
Click here to see my talk at the CNN Portugal Summit on public transport at the heart of city mobility strategies.
Click here for my talk at Fairtiq’s 10th anniversary celebration on why public transport should not be free.
“𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘴. 𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦, 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.”
Bernt Reitan Jenssen, CEO at Ruter (Transport Authority for Oslo)
For organisers
Need a bio and photo?
Here’s a bio you can lift straight into your programme:
Most ambitious organisations don't lack ideas.
They lack the confidence to act on the ideas they already have.
Thomas Ableman has spent twenty years inside Britain's public transport system trying to fix that gap — as Commercial Director at Chiltern Railways, as founder of Sn-ap, a venture-capital-backed digital marketplace for intercity travel, and as Director of Strategy & Innovation at Transport for London, one of the world's largest integrated transport authorities.
He now works as a senior adviser and facilitator to chief executives of combined authorities, transport operators and government, helping them move at the pace their ambition deserves.
He originated the Mini Switzerland project, now funded as a national demonstrator for Swiss-style integrated rural transport, writes the Freewheeling blog and hosts the Freewheeling Podcast.
Tell me about your event
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