Director, SellickRail Ltd
Rebeka was elected to the Railway Division Board in 2015. She lead authored the IMechE’s report “Increasing Capacity: Putting Britain’s railways back on track” published in January 2017, following it up with lectures at IMechE HQ and regional centres and presentations to governmental and industry bodies. In March 2018, Rebeka represented the IMechE to deliver a keynote address on Next Steps for the UK’s Railway Infrastructure at a Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport seminar.
She relishes the IMechE mentoring role, successfully facilitating the development of professional engineers, not only within railways but additionally, as part of her CPD, within the bus industry. She keeps up to date by judging the innovation paper element of the annual Railway Challenge and by joining in at Railway Engineering Graduate Scheme conferences.
Rebeka also volunteers articles published across the railway press on subjects ranging from what railways are for to specific innovations, as well as on capacity and performance. She admires the commitment of those who write doctoral theses, which she honours by acting as an external examiner.
Her paid work is currently as Director of SellickRail Ltd, an innovation, engineering and business consultancy she founded in 2016. Rebeka enjoys a range of assignments, from assessing and supporting technology transfers for railway benefit to advising international investors on UK rail opportunities, all grounded in her long and wide experience.
Rebeka’s 30 years in railways began with British Rail Derby, prior to her Oxford University degree in Engineering, Economics and Management. Before and between university, she made and mended trains from London to Inverness. After graduating, Rebeka’s fluent French enabled a pioneering work exchange with SNCF in Paris.
Rebeka approached privatisation via TOC management roles, before helping initiate ROSCOs. Broadening into consultancy, Rebeka created the Asset Management service within Interfleet Technology, delivering international assignments with her team of 50. Seven years as Engineering Director ATOC brought policy and research to the fore, which she continues to pursue in and amongst her current consultancy roles.
She has experience working across GB Railways, eg operator, Rosco, consultancy, representative body. As well as throughout the railway product cycle, eg R&D to implementation, asset management & maintenance optimisation.
She is skilled at thinking clearly and offering constructive input, has a record of developing collective positions and putting cross-industry projects together and is good at delivering on promises.
She says she is now able to commit more time to the Institution again, now that her daughter has turned eight, and is already keen to be an engineer.