Speaker Line-up

 Join us for the second instalment of our 'Rail Link Talks,' featuring a more intimate setting with short presentations from 9-11am. Talks will take place in the press area on the ground floor. 

Expect insightful talks from the following: 

Radio and TV Broadcaster, Author, Businessman and Former Politician 

Bio:
We are delighted to present our MC/Host for the day - Mr. Ivan Yates – Broadcaster, Businessman & Former Politician. Ivan is a seasoned broadcaster, entrepreneur, and former politician with a diverse career spanning four decades. A former Fine Gael TD and Minister for Agriculture, he later built a successful business with Celtic Bookmakers before reinventing himself in media. 

Ivan became a leading voice on Newstalk, hosting The Hard Shoulder and Newstalk Breakfast, and co-presented The Tonight Show on Virgin Media. An award-winning broadcaster known for his straight-talking style, Ivan is also a sought-after keynote speaker and MC, bringing sharp insight, humour, and meticulous preparation to corporate events.
 

Speaker: 

Dr Dave Gent 

Director of Operations - UK

Engineering Consultancy Services Limited (ECSL)

Short Bio:

Dr. Dave Gent is a chartered civil engineer and conservation specialist with over 20 years of experience in bridge inspection, assessment, and remediation. As Head of Bridges and Structures at ECSL, he leads a team of 80 engineers across the UK, Ireland, and India. He is a CARE-accredited expert in historic wrought iron and early steel structures, has delivered major railway and heritage projects, and lectures part-time at Nottingham Trent University. With a doctorate in civil engineering, he is a Fellow of the ICE, an ICE reviewer, and a leading voice in structural conservation and engineering education.

Offering a talk on: 

Preserving the Past, Building the Future: Conservation and Heritage in Civil Engineering

Talk Description: 

This talk explores the critical role of conservation and heritage in civil engineering, highlighting how engineers today must balance innovation with preservation. 

As we face growing environmental and urban development pressures, protecting historic infrastructure and cultural landmarks is not only a matter of legacy, but of sustainable practice. Drawing on case studies from the UK and beyond, the presentation will illustrate techniques for assessing, restoring, and retrofitting historic structures while respecting their original character. 

It will also examine the ethical and professional responsibilities civil engineers bear in safeguarding built heritage for future generations. The talk aims to inspire engineers to adopt a more conservation-minded approach, integrating modern technologies with traditional materials and methods. Attendees will come away with practical strategies and a renewed perspective on the importance of heritage as a dynamic, integral part of engineering practice, not an obstacle to progress but a foundation for resilient, context-sensitive design.

Speaker: 

Diarmaid Meagher

Geospatial Consultant

Korec Rail

Short Bio:

Diarmaid is a Rail Geospatial Consultant applying Trimble GEDO solutions to rail projects, turning complex survey data into actionable insights for safer, more efficient track design and maintenance.

Offering a talk on: 

Geospatial Data: The New Oil in Rail Construction and Maintenance

Talk Description: 

A brief overview on how geospatial data can be used to help improve rail construction and maintenance workflows, while improving track quality analysis, efficiency, safety reporting, speed analysis and clearance checks and why these workflows will play a critical role in the future of rail construction.
 

Speaker: 

Jules Reed 

Head of Behavioural Science

Tended

Short Bio:

Jules Reed is Tended's Head of Behavioural Science and is an expert at bringing together psychology with technology to improve workplace safety and prevent accidents.

For the past few years, Jules has been instrumental in developing Tended’s geofencing safety solution and supporting its successful integration into business-as-usual processes across Network Rail routes and tier 1 suppliers. Underpinned by behavioural science, the solution uses geospatial technology to improve worker situational awareness and augment long-term safer behaviours when working trackside.

Jules has previously led culture and behavioural change programmes at HS2, Interserve and Balfour Beatty and currently works with workforces across the rail industry to support engagement and positive behavioural change.

Offering a talk on: 

Mind the gap: the impact of human factors on safety and decision making

Talk Description: 

As humans, we are fallible. No matter how well trained or well motivated workers are, and despite continual efforts to inform them of best practice, mistakes and accidents will inevitably still happen.

An expert in human behaviour, Jules Reed offers an insightful journey into the human mind and psychology of why people make mistakes. This talk explores the innate brain functions that can lead to human error, including loss of situational awareness and risk-taking behaviours, and how they can create dangerous blind spots even for experienced individuals. 

Drawing on her behavioural science background and real-world case studies, Jules will explain how, with the right tools, organisations can minimise the impact of human error to instill sustainable safety change onsite. She will provide practical tips to bridge the gap between human vulnerability and safety with tools that work with, rather than against, our cognitive architecture.

Speaker: 

Ashley Gierth 

Vice Chair

RIA Northern Ireland

Offering a talk on: 

Introduction to the Railway Industry Association in Northern Ireland