Thomas Ableman
Most ambitious organisations don’t lack ideas. They lack the confidence to act on them. 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, transport operators and senior government officials — helping them move at the pace their ambition deserves. My tools are senior facilitation, international comparators and twenty years inside the sector.
Today that includes supporting cities on their transport integration models and Mini Switzerland, the national demonstrator I originated. I’ve also given evidence to Parliament on integrated transport and to the London Assembly on autonomous vehicles.
Director of Strategy
& Innovation
Transport for London
I led strategy and innovation at Transport for London, serving ten million people a day. I delivered digital partnerships, new innovation processes and TfL’s first Customer Strategy.
Founder & CEO
Sn-ap Travel Technology
I founded venture-backed coach startup Sn-ap, which reached a £15m valuation and seven UK cities. It didn’t survive the pandemic, but it taught me more than anything that succeeded.
Commercial Director
Chiltern Railways
As Commercial Director at Chiltern Railways, we doubled revenue from £100m to £200m and introduced industry firsts including barcode tickets, mobile ticketing and free onboard wifi.
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.
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.