IHRA - Key Persons
In 2013, Mr. Robb was appointed Trade and Investment Minister for Australia and successfully negotiated the Free Trade Agreements with South Korea, Japan and China as well as the 12 Country Trans Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Singapore.
With an Agricultural Science and First Class Honours Degree in Economics, Mr. Robb is currently providing strategic advice to Australian and Asia Pacific companies in trade and investment.
Joined the UK rail industry in 1979. He has worked in operations, freight, commercial, strategy, and European affairs; at British Rail, Railtrack, and Network Rail. He was a director of RSSB from 2004 to 2015 during which time he was the director responsible for Standards, Policy, Research, Safety Risk, Commercial and Strategy as well as Deputy Chief Executive. He established the Rail Research UK Association in 2011 and a $200m+ programme for innovation in rail in 2012. He has also worked with the World Bank in Asia, the Transport Research Board in Washington and was a founder Director of the European Infrastructure Managers (EIM) in Brussels. From 2015 to 2021 he was Professor at the University of Birmingham where he led the development of international railway benchmarking research and lectured on railway organisation, regulation and safety.
He first started his career with the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation of Singapore, as a Rolling Stock Engineer. In end 2003, Mr Chua was appointed as the LTA's Director and subsequently Group Director of the Safety and Contracts Division. He held the position until his 2-year secondment to the Ministry of Transport in March 2006 as the Director of International Relations and Security Division. In 2012, Mr Chua assumed the appointment of Deputy Chief Executive (Infrastructure & Development). He oversees the planning, design and implementation of all road and rail projects.
From 2015, he was the CEO of the ARA where he led the Associations activities in Australia and New Zealand, including policy development, advocacy and maintaining strong professional relationships with key Commonwealth and State Government representatives and local and international rail industry stakeholders. He was endorsed as Chair of the ARA in Jan 2020. His experience in the rail industry commenced in 1997 when he joined Downer Rail where he worked for 17 years holding a number of senior executive roles involved in the design, build and maintenance of passenger and freight rollingstock. In 2014, he joined the Ranbury Management Group in the capacity of Executive Manager Rail. He holds an honours degree in Civil Engineering (University of Queensland) as well as a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (Queensland University of Technology). He is a former Board member for the Federal Government's Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and is currently a Board member of the TrackSAFE Foundation.
Joined Japan National Railways (JNR) in 1977. Following privatization of JNR, joined Central Japan Railway Company in 1987. After Executive Vice President or other careers, President from 2014, Chairman from 2018 and Counsel and Director from 2023.
He has various careers in sales, international affairs, corporate planning, and long careers as the officer in airline and marine industry. He also has his career in THSRC as Assistant Vice President of Corporate Planning Division and Operation Division from 1998 to 2000. After President and Chairman Uni Air, President, Vice Chairman and Chairman in EVA Air, Chief Executive Officer from 2014, and President of THSRC from May, 2018.
He has a long career in the international railway industry. He is internationally recognized as a specialist on rail safety issues and has been deeply involved in most of the planned North American high speed rail projects, including the Texas Central HSR project from Dallas to Houston, and also the SCMAGLEV project from Baltimore, Maryland to Washington, DC. He established LDK Engineering in 1982 and was the President of Interfleet Technology North America from 2007 to 2013. He was a Senior Advisor at Interfleet Technology from 2013 to 2014. He is currently the President of LDK ADVISORY INC.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation
Mr. John Chen is the Senior Advisor, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, responsible for managing the operation, maintenance, facility engineering and core technology. His experience in railway is more than 35 years. He has technical background in civil engineer, computer science, as well as various fields in practical operation & maintenance expertise.
He has over 38 years experience working in the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), in the positions of Engineer i/c Locomotive Technical Division, Mechanical Engineering Department; Chief, General Training Division, Training and Development Bureau; Chief, Policy and Planning Bureau; Assistant General Manager and Director, Special Programme Development Department respectively. He has been appointed the Deputy Governor since 2006, responsible for the Special Project and Construction Engineering as well as the Electrification System Management of the SRT. After retired from SRT, he assumed the full time advisor to the President of NSTDA since September 2010, acting director of Thailand Railway Technology Development Institute Project.
In 2020, he was appointed Technical Advisor of SGHSR. From 2017, as Managing Director of SG HSR, he was responsible for all joint aspects of project implementation on the Singapore side of the Kuala Lumpur - Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project - from planning, design, construction, and eventually into testing and commissioning of the HSR system. Prior to the formation of SG HSR, he was the Project Director of the Rail Group in LTA, having overseen numerous MRT projects. Before that, he was Director - Cost Control in the Safety & Contracts Group in LTA. Before joining LTA in 1994 (then MRTC), he specialized in deep foundation work with Bauer Engineers & Contractors.Currently he is the Group Director of LTA.
He is a recognized safety expert experienced in railroad safety, accident investigation, engineering, and high-speed rail. From 1991 to 2002, he was Director of Railroad Safety for the US National Transportation Safety Board where he was responsible for railroad accident investigations throughout the nation. From 2005 until 2019, he served at Federal Railroad Administration, an agency of the US DOT, where he provided regulatory oversight and enforcement of safety regulations for the US railroad industry. He retired in 2019 as Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer. He established RCL Rail Safety Consulting in 2019 and currently provides consulting services to railroad clients including the Texas Central High-Speed Rail Project.
Job Titles:
- Senior Adviser / West Japan Railway Company, Japan
Joined Japan National Railways (JNR) in 1976. Following privatization of JNR, joined West Japan Railway Company in 1987. After General Manager of Financial Department, Senior General Manager of Corporate Planning HQ, Executive Vice President or other careers, President from 2012, Chairman from 2016 and Senior Adviser from 2021.
Joined East Japan Railway Company in 1990. Deputy General Manager, JRE Marketing Department, General Manager, JRE Department of IT & Suica Business Development, General Manager, JRE International Department, General Manager, JRE International Affairs Headquarters (Planning), Executive Officer, General Manager, JRE International Affairs Headquarters, Executive Officer, Planning & International Relations Department Director, JRE International Affairs Headquarters and Senior Executive Officer, Director General of JRE International Affairs Headquarters from June 2023.
Job Titles:
- Special Adviser / Kyushu Railway Company, Japan
Joined Japan National Railways (JNR) in 1969. Following privatization of JNR, joined Kyushu Railway Company in 1987. After Director and Deputy Director General of Railway Operations HQ, Senior Management Director and Director General of Corporate Planning HQ or other careers, President from 2002 and Chairman from 2009. He is a senior advisor since June 2014.
He started his career in the judicial and legal services of Malaysia before joining the Banking & Financial sector. He held various positions in the Banking & Financial sector up to 1986. After which he became an advocate & solicitor in Malaysia up to 1990. In 1990, he was elected member of Parliament until 2013. He served as a Cabinet Minister from 1990 to 2009 in several portfolios including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Interior. In 2010 up to 2017, he was appointed by the Prime Minister of Malaysia as the Chairman of SPAD.
Joined Central Japan Railway Company in 1988. After Deputy Director General of the Technology Research and Development Department of the General Technology Division, Corporate Officer, Deputy Director General of the General Technology Division, Corporate Executive Officer, Director General of the General Technology Division and in charge of controlling the Electrical Engineering Section from 2022.
He was elected to three terms (from 1972 to 1979) in the Texas House of Representatives and has been active in many political campaigns. He was an investor in the partnership that bought the Texas Rangers Baseball Club in 1989. He had been the US Ambassador to Australia from 2001 to 2005, as well as to Japan from 2005 to 2009.
Joined Kyushu Railway Company in 1996. After Manager of Construction Division of Track & Facilities Department, General Manager of Construction Work Department of Railway Operations HQ, and Deputy General Manager of Strategy Management Department of Corporate Planning HQ, Corporate Officer and General Manager of Railway Business Management and Administration Department of Railway Operations HQ from April 2023.
Mr.Patterson held Senior Director for Japan, Office of Secretary of Defense, Director for Japan and Korea, National Security Council, the White House. After then he held Special Assistant to the President for Asia, Senior Advisor to Ambassador Howard Baker, Tokyo, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia. Mr. Patterson previously served for Raytheon Company, including as President, Raytheon International, Director of Central Japan railway Company and Adviser from 2023. Former IHRA Vice-Chairman.
Job Titles:
- Director / West Japan Railway Company, Japan
Dr. Chiang was elected as Chairman of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation in October 2016. He was Chairman of China Steel Chemical Corporation, China Steel Corporation, Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation, and China Airlines. The previous positions of Dr. Chiang were Deputy Minister of Public Construction Commission, Executive Yuan, Director General of Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS), President of Chinese Institute of Engineers (CIE), and President of Chinese Society of Mechanical Engineering (CSME).
Joined Japan National Railways (JNR) in 1978. Following privatization of JNR, joined East Japan Railway Company in 1987. After Executive Director, Executive Vice President and Representative Director and President & CEO from 2018.