The Future of European Rail

Alain Barbey

Chief Executive Officer, TGV Lyria

Biography

Since July 2010, Alain Barbey has been in charge of Lyria SAS, a Paris and Bern based joint venture between SNCF and SBB, responsible for the traffic between France and Switzerland.

With the new commercial agreement signed between the parent companies, giving Lyria more autonomy and responsibilities, his main tasks have been to transform a marketing entity into a profit oriented company, geared towards customer needs. After the opening of two new lines, “Haut Bugey” reducing travel time towards Geneva as well as the “Rhin-Rhone” in the direction of Basel and Zürich, Lyria is now preparing for the introduction of its own fleet (19 TGV multi-voltage) for the end of the year.

Before working at Lyria SAS, Alain Barbey spent 3 years as CEO of the railway operator Cisalpino AG. Cisalpino AG is a joint venture between SBB and Trenitalia and operates tilting trains between Switzerland, Italy and Germany. 

Alain Barbey started his career in the airline industry and spent 15 years with Swissair, occupying various leading positions around the world; first in operations as Station Manager in Boston and Accra, Ghana, then as Marketing Manager West Coast in Los Angeles, regional Manager in North Africa and finally as Country Manager for Italy.

In 1999 he made a move into the industrial word, in the area of catering, retail and hospitality, as General Manager of Gate Gourmet France, opening a new unit in Paris CDG. He then lead a joint venture in Italy as CEO of Ligabue Gate Gourmet Italy, with responsibility for retail shops, restaurants and catering for 10 Italian airports.

After two years as Vice President Business Development International Ligabue Group in Venice, specialising in hospitality activities for on and offshore gas and petrol compounds, he made a foray into the world of tourism, as General Manager of the touristic region of Crans-Montana before joining the rail industry in 2007.

Alain Barbey graduated from the “Ecole Supérieure” de Commerce de Lausanne” and is an officer in the Swiss army. He is married and the father of two daughters.

Iris Henseler-Unger

Vice President, Bundesnetzagentur

Biography

Studied Economics, Ph.D. in Economics

 

1986 – 1993 and 1999 – 2004

Several positions at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology; e.g.
Principles of Economic Policy; Economic and Structural Policy Research

 

1993 – 1999

Economic policy, posts and telecommunications expert with the liberal parliamentary group (FDP)

 

Since March 2004

Vice President of the Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications and Posts (RegTP)

 

N.B.: In July 2005 Reg TP was renamed in Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railway (BNetzA) 

Anna Walker

Vice Chair, IRG-Rail

Biography

Anna Walker is Chair of Office of Rail Regulation. She was Chief Executive of the Healthcare Commission from 2004-2009 (responsible for regulating public and private sector healthcare and the predecessor of the Care Quality Commission). She has wide-ranging experience in regulation and performance improvement. Anna was Director General, Land Use and Rural Affairs at Defra from 2001 to 2004, where she drew up a new rural policy following the foot and mouth disease outbreak. Anna was Director General of Energy at the Department of Trade and Industry from 1998 to 2001 and Deputy Director General, Office of Telecommunications from 1995-1998. She is also Chair of the National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy and on the Board of Welsh Water and Consumer Focus.