Spotlight Series: Meet Oyin Ogundipe

For this month’s Spotlight piece, we interviewed Oyin Ogundipe, Area Manager London & Northants at East Midlands Railway (EMR). Oyin joined the transport industry in 2019, starting in the ticket office at Liverpool Street Station and working her way up to area manager of London & Northants. We spoke to her about achievements in her career so far and her mission to make rail more representative of the communities it serves.

How did you get into the rail industry?

My route into rail wasn’t traditional. After university, I developed my professional and leadership skills in retail before switching to the rail industry where I started off working in the ticket office at Liverpool Street station for Greater Anglia. Four years later and I am still in the rail industry. I’ve always looked to embrace opportunity and have been deliberately flexible about location. In October 2020, I was promoted to the position of On Train Service Deliver Manager based in Sheffield with EMR, my understanding of rail operations grew as I managed on board train crew and completed a safety critical train guard course allowing me to work as an onboard contingency guard. Eighteen months later I was keen to stretch myself further and took on the responsibility of managing a large team in a London terminal station. I am now in Kettering, working as the area manager for EMR’s London and Northamptonshire stations. I am responsible for the safe provision of customer journeys in and out of London St Pancras each year, and the broader responsibilities for EMR’s Connect stations.

What keeps you in the rail sector?

I love the variety of opportunity that rail presents, where no two days are the same. My passions are people, team development and customer experience.  My role tests my leadership skills on a daily basis and has provided me with the opportunity to get involved in some exciting projects such as the redevelopment of staff facilities and transforming the St Pancras lounge into a multi-use customer space. Furthermore, rail serves an important role in connecting communities and supporting growth of the economy, which as a station team we play a crucial part in delivering via our daily operations.

In your role you have also done a lot to improve employee welfare. How has that impacted your colleagues in your current role?

During the COVID-19 pandemic I noticed a lot of my colleagues’ mental health and wellbeing suffered because of the isolation many of us experienced. I wanted to do something about this so I organised drop-in sessions where staff could talk about challenges they were facing. Creating opportunities for social connection had a positive impact on wellbeing and ultimately on their work performance too. I continually stress to my team the importance of holding regular meaningful one to ones with our wider team and providing a safe space to raise any issues. We constantly look for initiatives to improve welfare and are currently working on further staff area redevelopments which is an area that we have seen boost morale on projects I worked on in other locations.

Could you tell us a little about your role managing a large area like London?

I am the lead representative for EMR in St Pancras International and key to that role is building strong networks and relationships with Network Rail High Speed, British Transport Police, and other Train Operating Companies (TOCs). My role has given me exposure to key stakeholders and it’s not uncommon for members of the cabinet to travel through St Pancras, and part of my role involves facilitating their seamless travel experience. London is extremely fast paced and often we have the challenge of managing large events which require strong event plans and collaboration with key partners.  

 As a graduate who pursued another career path before joining the rail industry how would you encourage others to look to rail first?

I am a strong advocate of promoting careers in rail, particularly within communities that are underrepresented. Too often careers in rail seem hidden and this in my opinion is linked to a lack of information and representation as it can often be difficult to ‘be’ what you haven’t seen.  We need to work hard as a rail community to open up access, not just to graduates, but to all communities that are underrepresented and should be open to exploring new ways of recruitment to do this. One of my career goals is to contribute to diversity and help our workplace better reflect our communities. Hopefully people can look at me, and the path I took to rail and consider rail as a future career.

How are you using your influence in the rail sector? 

I am working hard to build my network of contacts across rail and am always available to offer my perspective and thoughts on the challenges the sector faces. I am fortunate to have had the support and guidance of both formal and informal mentors throughout my career and I strongly believe in paying it forward. I currently mentor as part of our leadership programme and remain committed to developing my team and others around me.

What advice would you give to people who are thinking of entering this industry? 

Rail provides great opportunities for development and growth and there is a place for each person’s unique skills and experiences. There is so much comradery amongst your extended rail family who form a supportive network throughout your career, so don’t be afraid to explore the sector!