One word to describe yourself: Resilient
Alma Mater: Keele University and Aston University (both in the UK)
Fast fact about yourself: In the UK, I obtained my commercial driving license - meaning that I can legally drive a bus (in the UK).
What’s your best experience on transit and what made it memorable?
Traveling on the Shinkansen in Japan - the organization, the service and the efficiency.
Stephanie Maher is a collaborative leader focused on operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Originally from Birmingham, UK, she has served as vice president of operations (East) for WeDriveU (formerly National Express Transit) since 2021 and oversees 38 contracts and 3,200 employees.
Maher excels in mentorship, fostering a culture of engagement and innovation. She co-created a three-module ‘Soft Skills Leadership Course’ for middle managers to instill company values of leading with care, compassion and empathy and led process improvement training, resulting in Lean Six Sigma certification for WeDriveU. Her efforts have expanded technology partnerships and improved customer experiences.
She holds an MBA from Aston University and several international transportation qualifications ,including a Certificate of Professional Competence for Transportation Management, an International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, with distinction and she was awarded the 2016 Young Manager of the Year at the UK Bus Awards.
Maher is passionate about diversity and inclusion, co-founding the Women’s Inspiration Network (WIN) and leading diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives. She also spearheaded an internship program to attract new talent to transit operations.
Maher is active in professional development, completing leadership courses and participating in industry organizations like WTS.
She has lived in the U.S. for the past seven years but she remains actively engaged with Women in Transport UK. As a result of her commitment and eagerness to share best practices, she was invited to present at a conference in 2019, where she highlighted the differences, particularly for women, between the U.S. and UK in terms of diversity and work life balance.
Is there a specific experience that led you to where you are today?
Moving to the United States from the UK was very impactful to my career. The original plan of a one-year commitment with WeDriveU has now been seven years. My best friends spent time working abroad and I also wanted to experience another element of transportation and a different culture.
After three months, the CEO at the time asked me if I wanted to stay longer. I was working at our corporate head office in Lisle, Ill., and agreed so long as I could return to operations. I really missed being in the action and spending time with our front-line employees.
When I moved here in 2017, I was only holding two suitcases. Since then, I’ve lived in three states and had four different roles (my current role being the longest and since September 2021).
In May 2018, my husband and cats moved to the U.S. too. Due to the size of the U.S. and the rate of our business growth here, more opportunities were available to me. This experience aligns with the importance I place on always pushing oneself out of their comfort zone and the value of enrichment through different experiences so I did just that.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The people. We say we’re a transportation business but really, we’re a people business. Everything we do focuses around our people and the individuals who make up the communities we serve. I always prioritize meeting our team and passengers when visiting our locations. My role is one of an enabler, which is to ensure I get my general and regional managers what they need in order to be successful in their operations.
Our front-line employees are the most important in our business. Without them, buses would never get out on the road. It’s important that we always lead with this mindset.
It’s always great to meet and understand what inspires our team and what we can do to make their roles easier. There’s always great characters and big personalities and I love the rapport and banter at our depots. There is no better workplace.
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Ensuring I take time to look after myself. I travel extensively for my role and many of our services are 24/7. I always say, ‘while the wheels are turning, we’re in business.’ It can be late nights, lots of eating out and time spent waiting in airports. I’ve been much more disciplined in the past year to ensure that I maintain healthy habits while traveling such as ordering a salad, using the hotel gym and getting eight hours of sleep.
At the start of 2023, I rekindled my love of reading and now read every single night before I go to sleep. This stops any late-night screen time and ensures I’m taking that time to switch off from work and enter another world through my imagination and the book.
I also expect the same from my teams so no late-night emails. If anything is urgent, it’s a phone call or a text message. I also have kept my European mentality toward vacations and expect my teams to fully switch off and enjoy the time off they’ve earned.
Accomplishment you’re most proud of and why?
Co-founding and chairing WeDriveU’s Employee Resource Group (ERG) WIN. A group of us attended the WTS conference in Seattle, Wash., in 2022 and were so inspired and energized that we worked together to start our own ERG. Our committee meets every two weeks and we host events, interviews, panel discussions or internal company networking. This year, we also launched our own internship program for college students to get a taste of our industry.
WIN has become a voice for those who identify as female in the business and has proven to be a safe learning environment for our allies and those who have questioned the need for the existence of such an ERG. We aim to be educational and to be a safe place for difficult conversations.
What is an accomplishment you would like to work towards in your career?
I’ve always been ambitious with my career but never been set on a specific career path. I tend to focus on the job I have and do that to the best of my ability. The accomplishment I now always work toward is developing others. As I’ve progressed professionally, I’ve learned that it becomes less about me and more about the team and their development.
I really enjoy seeing others progress in our organization and supporting and enabling that. I’m really proud of all the internal promotions we’ve had in the East, especially in the past year.
As we continue to grow as an organization, it’s great to have new opportunities for people to progress into. Of course, having a strong succession plan with key roles backfilled is crucial to ensure business continuity.
Best advice/tip/best practice to share from your area of expertise?
Always be open to new experiences and learning. Even if it’s not the ‘career path’ or direction you hoped for, always say ‘yes.' Even if it feels like a step sideways, there is always something to learn and utilize in your career. The people you meet are also important and being open to a different role will widen your network and opportunities.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
