Meet ANZ Bus MD Michelle Tungate

Read our Q&A with Trapeze Group’s ANZ Bus Managing Director, Michelle Tungate

Q: Michelle, you are an experienced senior leader with more than 25 years of experience across a range of sectors. What drew you to your new role with Trapeze?
A: I was delighted to be approached by the Trapeze Group and presented with this opportunity to lead the sustainable growth of the ANZ bus business. Since I arrived it has been stimulating to meet such a talented and committed team of industry experts, software developers, product specialists, and other outstanding professionals based at our Brisbane head office and our locations nationwide.

It is already clear to me that Trapeze attracts outstanding people, and we will continue to build upon the well-established internal leadership development program that is already in place. I’m looking forward to driving continued customer-centric growth and optimising our operations to deliver a competitive advantage that translates into continued success for ourselves and our partners.

Q: Collaborative leadership has been a hallmark of your career, is that one of the reasons why you are such a good fit for Trapeze?
A: Establishing a collaborative mindset has been a benchmark for me throughout my experiences in management, so joining a business that values collaboration was very appealing. Adopting a team-driven approach can transform obstacles into opportunities, as we work together to develop smart and innovative solutions to our customers’ challenges.

One of the guiding principles I am bringing to my role at Trapeze is the importance of making things easy for our customers when we connect with them. Creating a culture that values supportive working practices ensures we have a proactive approach to managing our new and existing partnerships.

Q: What are you looking forward to in 2023?
A: I’m excited about connecting with our customers, listening to their needs, and bringing them value by helping to maximise productivity at lower costs while meeting their compliance and performance targets.

The bus industry is experiencing an exciting period of digital transformation at the moment, so it is important that Trapeze uses our leadership role in the technology space as an opportunity to share capabilities with our customers and strategic partners.

We will continue to share our knowledge with them and anticipate their evolving needs through our suite of solutions that are tailor-made for the bus industry.

Q: What priorities and opportunities do you see within the bus industry?
A: Sustainability must be our north star. Emissions reduction has never been more important for our sector as the journey towards Net Zero continues.

Our LIO Volta solution is designed specifically for customers who are introducing ZEB fleets, as it allows for factors including temperature, passenger counts, and route topography while using real-time data to forecast travel times and prevent vehicles from running out of charge mid-journey.

In addition, we look forward to revealing the second generation of our planning and scheduling capability specifically for electric vehicles within the Austrics platform, which is a very exciting development.

Traffic congestion is a problem that’s not going away, and conversations will continue with our partners about using headway management to maintain on-time performance, particularly for high-frequency services within urban centres. NSW passengers are already benefiting from Trapeze implementing the first actively managed headway routes in Sydney, which encourages people to leave their car at home and catch the bus because they can rely on regular services. There is much to look forward to in this space.

The role of on-demand transport in delivering first and last-mile bus services will continue to grow. Our Routematch platform provides community transport customers with technology to transform the passenger experience while managing operational costs with trip planning, vehicle tracking, payment software, and tools for fixed route services and riders with disabilities.

Q: Why is it important to address the gender imbalance that exists within the bus industry?
A: Diversity in executive leadership roles, including at board level, is what powers transformation. This need for visible diversity goes beyond gender alone and encompasses diversity in all its forms.

While the bus sector has traditionally been male dominated, it is pleasing to see the evolution that is already underway as a more diverse cross-section of people is attracted to the industry. From a Trapeze perspective, we are fully committed to maintaining a diverse workplace that includes an equitable gender balance.

Welcome to the Trapeze team Michelle!

Want to get in touch? Tap here to contact us, or you can connect with our ANZ Bus Managing Director, Michelle Tungate, on LinkedIn here.

March 09, 2023