Electrification at scale: Building compliant, high-performing public transportation
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Summary
Public transportation operators today must navigate a complex landscape, balancing political priorities, operational constraints, workforce readiness, and passenger expectations, all while remaining financially sustainable. Decisions around fleets, infrastructure, charging, digital services and long-term planning are increasingly interconnected, making change harder to deliver but more critical than ever.
In this webinar, industry leaders from Hitachi, HESS AG, Keolis and TPG will explore what is driving transformation in public transportation today and what risks slowing progress if left unaddressed. The conversation will cover practical challenges such as skills and service readiness, legal and infrastructure considerations, fleet optimisation and end-of-life planning, with a lens into the future and how operators can anticipate what’s coming next rather than reacting under pressure.
Attendees will leave with a stronger view of what good looks like in modern public transportation and how to move forward in a way that is both sustainable and operationally viable.
Speakers:
Thierry Lassus
Head of Mobility Segment
Hitachi Ltd.
Thierry Lassus is Head of the Mobility Segment at Hitachi, where he leads efforts to drive sustainable growth across rail, road, marine, and air transport in over 60 countries.
With more than 26 years of experience at ABB and now Hitachi, Thierry is recognized as a thought leader in the convergence of IT. and OT, energy storage innovation, and smart mobility. He played a key role in developing Hitachi’s GrideMotion Flash, a breakthrough flash-charging solution for electric buses.
Under his leadership, Hitachi delivers advanced solutions for vehicle OEMs, commercial and logistics operators, and public transport providers. Thierry also represents Hitachi in key global associations including UNIFE, UITP, VEI, and the Nomads Foundation.
A committed advocate for the sustainable economy, Thierry is passionate about helping customers transition to cleaner, greener mobility.
Bruno Lapeyrie
Director Centro of Excellence Energy - Bus
Keolis
Since 2019, Bruno has been heading the Center of Excellence of Keolis Group for Energy Transition-Bus. This team is dedicated to the technical-economic on field and practical aspects of the transition of bus fleets from diesel to alternative energies.
He has a 25 years executive track record in public transit industry : engineering and consultancy in rail and urban transport completed with an experience in business and corporate international development.
His first professional position was an engineer for construction and environmental impact assessment of large transportation infrastructures.
He has represented a Public Transport Authority (for rail and coaches) within the Regional Council of Occitanie in France, as Director of Infrastructures and Transport.
He is Keolis representative at UITP Bus Committee, Member of IFPEN Industrial-Mobility Committee and Legal Expert in construction-mobility-environment at the Court of Appeal and the Administrative Court of Appeal of Lyon (France).
Bruno’s basic education is a master degree of sciences- agronomics and environment, completed by an MBA.
Geert Van Hecke
Key Account Manager International & Manager HESS Belgium
HESS AG
Geert Van Hecke is Key Account Manager International and Manager HESS Belgium at HESS AG, where he works with transport authorities and operators worldwide to support the deployment of high-capacity electric bus systems.
With more than 30 years of international experience across the automotive and transport sectors, Geert has held senior leadership roles in manufacturing, sales, and business development. Prior to joining HESS, he worked with companies including Van Hool, Tower International, and General Motors, gaining extensive experience in vehicle manufacturing and global operations.
Geert combines technical expertise with business leadership, holding a degree in civil engineering with a specialization in electronics, as well as an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.
Passionate about innovation in mobility, he is particularly focused on advancing sustainable public transport solutions, including battery-electric systems and turnkey e-BRT projects.
Olivier Augé
Head of Engineering
Président Groupe d’Experts Tramway -UTP
Olivier Augé is Head of Engineering at Transports Publics Genevois (TPG), where he oversees the acquisition and integration of advanced technologies supporting the modernization and decarbonization of Geneva’s public transport network.
With a strong background in energy systems, power electronics, and sustainable mobility, he has been instrumental in accelerating the electrification of TPG’s bus fleet and deploying innovative charging infrastructures for large-scale electric operations.
Before joining TPG, Olivier held several leadership positions at ABB, including Head of Product Management, Innovation Manager, and Business Development Manager. He notably contributed to the development of the award-winning TOSA flash-charging electric bus system, one of the pioneering technologies enabling high-capacity electric bus operations. Olivier is also President of the Tramway Expert Group at the Union des Transports Publics (UTP) in Switzerland, where he promotes industry collaboration and contributes to the development of best practices for modern tramway systems.
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