Beata Lipman to lead commercial strategy at Rail First

Rail First Asset Management has bolstered its executive team, appointing highly credentialled Beata Lipman to the newly created role of Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer.

Ms Lipman brings more than 18 years’ commercial and operational experience to Rail First, including almost a decade in leadership positions at freight logistics providers Pacific National and Asciano as well as PricewaterhouseCoopers.

During her tenure at Pacific National, Ms Lipman oversaw the national intermodal business as the Divisional CFO and managed more than $1 billion in commercial investments as Head of Property and Strategy.

At Rail First, Ms Lipman will be responsible for leading the development of commercial partnerships, new rail leasing and maintenance products, and exploring new markets and strategies.

Commenting on the appointment, Rail First CEO Mark Kirkpatrick said, “Beata is an excellent addition to our leadership team, joining at an exciting juncture for both Rail First and the broader industry. Her wealth of commercial industry experience will be instrumental in accelerating our growth strategy, supporting the shift to longer-term rail leasing solutions. Our ability to attract high-quality industry talent reflects Rail First’s unique position in the market as the nation’s only domestic intermodal wagon manufacturer with unique build-to-lease capabilities.”

Ms Lipman said, “Rail First is well-placed to cater to global rail trends, including the shift to low-carbon alternatives, more sustainable operations, and increased demand for leasing flexibility. I look forward to building Rail First’s commercial offering to meet these evolving customer needs.”

Beata is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance from the University of Sydney Business School.