James is the NZ Practice Lead for Aurecon's People, Movement & Place team and has over 34 years’ experience in a wide variety of Transport Planning and Engineering projects, both in Asia Pacific and Europe and been extensively involved in the delivery of large scale integrated transport solutions; providing specialist advice for Public Transport (PT) planning with a particular focus on the evaluation and design of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Intelligent Transport System (ITS) schemes, transport masterplanning, strategic transport scheme evaluation / feasibility study development.

Phil is a principal transport planner at Hamilton City Council and co-chair of the Future Proof Transport Working Group, the technical group that leads the implementation of the Hamilton-Waikato Metro Spatial Plan Transport Programme which as the implementation of a Hamilton rapid transit network at its core. Previously an Associate at Opus and Manager Transport Strategy at Auckland Council, Phil has been with HCC since 2020

Daniel is Technical Lead in AT's Transport Investment team, leading the strategic planning of major components of Auckland's transport system.

Robin is a Transport Planning Team Lead in AT's Integrated Network Planning Team, the group responsible for AT's high level multi-modal plans and strategies. He studied Urban Design and Planning in the Netherlands, where he began his career working on placemaking projects in high deprivation areas. He joined New Zealand (and AT) in 2018, contributing to key strategic plans like Future Connect, the Auckland Rapid Transit Pathway, the Regional Public Transport Plan, the Transport Equity Framework. Robin brings a strong equity lens and systems-thinking approach to his work, supported by GIS analytical skills and a passion for maps.

Mark Gregory is the current TG national chair. His day job is Principal Transport Planner for the Canterbury Regional Council, as he works to further progress into the PT Futures programme. Mark is a vocational Transport Planner, with degrees in Transport Planning and Engineering and 16 years’ experience in UK, Australia and New Zealand. He is New Zealand’s first Chartered Transport Planning professional (CTPP), and registered mentor and Assessor with the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transport, of which he is a Chartered member. Mark’s backgrounds and skills encompass all technical areas of transport planning. He is an experienced transport engineer and designer, expert witness, Better Business case Practitioner, model developer, economic evaluator and researcher behind NZTA Research Report 729 – bringing together complex behaviour and modelling theories into capturing the transportation impacts of working from home within regional planning tools. He is particularly focussed on how transport can work better for New Zealand, including economic productivity and retains an interest in alternative ways of approaching planning and investment decision making.

Melissa Winters is a Senior Network Planner at the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, where she leads innovative approaches to public transport network design. With a strong foundation in transport planning and a passion for integrating technology into mobility systems, Melissa is committed to enhancing the customer experience through smarter, more responsive services. In 2024, she spearheaded the introduction of on-demand public transport in the Bay of Plenty using electric vehicles - a pioneering pilot that continues to demonstrate the potential of technology to deliver tailored, efficient journeys for riders. Melissa also serves on the Board of Directors for Intelligent Transport Systems New Zealand (ITSNZ), contributing strategic insight to the advancement of intelligent mobility nationwide. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Technological Futures, further deepening her expertise at the intersection of transport innovation and emerging technologies.

Dave is the Public Transport Service Change Planning Manager with Auckland Transport. Dave has been at Auckland Transport (and predecessor organisations) for nearly 30 years in a variety of roles, joining the planning team around 13 years ago. Prior to this Dave started his career in public transport as a bus driver in Auckland. Between 2016 and 2019, Auckland has rolled out a New Network for public transport in Auckland, Dave has been heavily involved in this network, Since 2019 Dave has been involved with continuous refinement and fine-tuning of the network.

Helen is a Senior Communications and Engagement Specialist at Auckland Transport. She is passionate about empowering Aucklanders to actively participate in the complex task of planning and developing our transport network. She previously worked in London on school travel planning, Cycle Hire and Legible London projects. In Auckland she has been heavily involved in the implementation of the New Network for public transport and on-demand rideshare services. She holds a BCom (Hons) in Economics.