Career Talk with Emma Nelissen, Project Manager in the Service division at ABB

Hello Emma, could you please introduce yourself?

My name is Emma Nelissen. I work as a project manager in the service division at ABB. I studied materials science at EPFL in Lausanne and I am very interested in batteries. That was also the subject of my master’s thesis. Then I came across ABB, a company that of course offers many different opportunities. I decided to stay and to continue working in the field of batteries.

What advice would you give to young people who would like to work in the railway or bus sector, or in public transport in general?

For people who would like to work in the railway or bus sector or in public transport in general, I have three tips. The first is to really sit in a train or a bus and think about what is happening there. For example, what happens when the train brakes? Instead of looking at your phone, it might be better to observe and reflect a little more.

My second tip is to take part in events organised in Switzerland. There are many organisations that deal with this topic. One particular organisation is the Railway Talent Hub, which organises events in French, English and German.

In this context, my last piece of advice is to really develop an interest in the railway industry, which we use almost every day. Even when I was studying at EPFL, I took the metro every day. Today I work under a service contract with this same metro – so it really is something that you use all your life without necessarily thinking about it.

How do you experience the role of women in industry and engineering?

Of course, there are fewer women in industry and engineering in general, which is a pity. I think people always imagine a train driver as a man. But in fact it could also be a woman. So why not talk more about it and show that it is completely natural to see a woman driving a train in the morning or a project manager in a senior position in a company, leading an entire public transport organisation. That is something I would really like to see more of in the future.

Which developments in the railway industry excite you for the future?

I am looking forward to all the innovations that will take place in the railway industry in the coming years – whether it is new applications of AI, new battery technologies or developments in the bus sector. And I am excited to be part of these changes.

Thank you very much for your insights, Emma!