Rhianne Evans: finding solutions to customer challenges through empathy

Empathy: it is an essential tool for Business Development Manager Rhianne Evans, helping her to understand customer challenges and find the best possible solutions.

“I previously worked as part of the innovation team for a train operating company (TOC). Having been on the customer side, it was frustrating when suppliers would contact me with a hard sell, as it showed they hadn’t really listened. It was when people took time to build a relationship that I most appreciated their input.

"Before offering any solution, it’s important to work with customers to really understand their challenges and even anticipate what they may be in the future. My role is about building those relationships and working with colleagues to offer the best possible solutions."

As a relatively new member of the Thales Ground Transportation Systems team, Rhianne is spending time with colleagues and learning about the diverse capabilities across the organisation, so she can match these to customer needs. Her previous role involved finding innovative solutions within the constraints of a rail franchise. She sees the move to Thales as an opportunity to influence the nuts and bolts of rail operations and address some of the core challenges across the industry.

Rhianne arrives at Thales at a time when mainline rail is at a crossroads. The Government’s commitment to deliver a digital railway for the UK opens up new opportunities in core areas of the Thales business – signalling and traffic management. Rhianne’s previous roles put her in a unique position to help Thales in realising this ambition.

“Having worked for a TOC and in other areas of the rail industry, I bring a different perspective to the Thales business. I understand the challenge of delivering an excellent passenger experience while coping with increasing demand, legacy infrastructure, and ageing trains. 

Thales’s traffic management expertise offers the rail industry an opportunity to make smarter, evidence-based decisions, particularly during periods of disruption.

Rhianne was named among 20 Rising Stars by Women in Rail last year – a professional and personal highlight after an unconventional route into the transport sector. After studying French at university, she went on to work for the Home Office in Paris supporting Eurostar operations, before taking a PhD with the University of Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education. Rhianne spent time at the National College for High Speed Rail, launched to address the UK’s high speed rail skills gap, before joining an engineering consultancy and then moving to a train operator.  

“I hadn’t appreciated just how many different roles and opportunities there are within the rail industry. If you are thinking of working in the sector, I would strongly recommend moving around and working in different areas. Although this can be daunting, working in different areas really helps with understanding the complexity of the industry, and appreciating how challenges can be collectively solved. If you only ever work in one area, you may only ever see that perspective. And I really believe that the secret to success is empathy!”

Rhianne and Thales are transforming Britain’s journeys.