Rail First appoints Beata Lipman as CEO

Rail First Asset Management, Australia’s leading provider of rollingstock solutions for the rail industry, has appointed Beata Lipman as Chief Executive Officer, effective 7 December 2023, following a three-month executive search.

Ms Lipman joined Rail First in July 2023 as Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer, tasked with developing commercial partnerships, new rail leasing and maintenance products, and exploring additional markets.

A seasoned rail executive, Ms Lipman has more than 18 years’ commercial and operational experience, including a decade in leadership positions at freight logistics providers Pacific National and Asciano.

Ms Lipman was the Divisional CFO overseeing Pacific National’s intermodal business and also managed more than $1 billion in commercial property and terminal developments.

Rail First Chair, Mr David Irwin, congratulated Ms Lipman on her appointment as CEO. “The Board is delighted with the appointment of Beata Lipman as CEO of Rail First. The Board ran an extensive search and were pleased to see the significant market interest in the role. In her relatively short time with the business, Beata has identified growth opportunities to partner with key customers and capitalise on our local intermodal wagon manufacturing and maintenance capabilities in Islington (SA) and Goulburn (NSW).”

“Beata’s long-term strategy for Rail First is aligned with the Board’s, and we are confident we have the right leader to harness our position as Australia’s leader in rollingstock leasing. Her extensive industry expertise is instrumental in re-positioning the company as a long-term strategic partner to support our customers’ growth ambitions.”

Ms Lipman said, “Rail First has all the building blocks to become the industry’s partner of choice, providing customers with access to Australia’s largest rollingstock leased fleet and locally manufactured intermodal assets. I have really enjoyed seeing the passion our employees have for our business and am excited about the growth opportunities to strategically partner with our customers for the long-term.”

Ms Lipman is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance from the University of Sydney.