On 28th March 2018, Women in Rail Malaysia was delighted to have Mr Torkel Patterson speak at the Women in Rail Malaysia 4th Leadership Talk.
Torkel has served with distinction in the US Navy, Raytheon International, the Pentagon, US State Department and the White House, and for the last 8 years he has been based in Tokyo. He is currently a board member of JR Central from Japan which operates the iconic Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka and which has begun construction of the world’s first Superconducting Maglev line between Tokyo and Nagoya. He concurrently is Vice Chairman of the International High Speed Rail Association, committed to improving high speed rail infrastructure worldwide.
The interest from the Women in Rail Malaysia members was overwhelming with attendance to the event far exceeding expectations (and seats!). Members were keen to learn how the Japanese have developed their technology and global dominance in the high speed rail space, with Torkel providing a clear overview of the Japanese HSR industry as well as providing a benchmark against other cities’ HSR systems.
Torkel also gave advice on how women could play an even greater role in advancing their professional career and he provided perspective based on his professional work experience in both the US and Japan.
Apart from attracting members from different professional disciplines across the rail spectrum, the Women in Rail Malaysia 4th Leadership Talk also brought in 2 new male members which emphasised Women in Rail Malaysia’s commitment to increased diversity within the Malaysian rail space.
Torkel has served with distinction in the US Navy, Raytheon International, the Pentagon, US State Department and the White House, and for the last 8 years he has been based in Tokyo. He is currently a board member of JR Central from Japan which operates the iconic Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka and which has begun construction of the world’s first Superconducting Maglev line between Tokyo and Nagoya. He concurrently is Vice Chairman of the International High Speed Rail Association, committed to improving high speed rail infrastructure worldwide.
The interest from the Women in Rail Malaysia members was overwhelming with attendance to the event far exceeding expectations (and seats!). Members were keen to learn how the Japanese have developed their technology and global dominance in the high speed rail space, with Torkel providing a clear overview of the Japanese HSR industry as well as providing a benchmark against other cities’ HSR systems.
Torkel also gave advice on how women could play an even greater role in advancing their professional career and he provided perspective based on his professional work experience in both the US and Japan.
Apart from attracting members from different professional disciplines across the rail spectrum, the Women in Rail Malaysia 4th Leadership Talk also brought in 2 new male members which emphasised Women in Rail Malaysia’s commitment to increased diversity within the Malaysian rail space.