Yarra Trams appoints new, innovative local CEO

Keolis Downer, the operator of Yarra Trams in Melbourne, has appointed a new CEO from 2023, current Chief Operations Officer Carla Purcell.

Current CEO, Julien Dehornoy, who has been in the role for three years will lead Keolis Downer nationally, from 9 January 2023, which has bus, light rail, heavy rail and on-demand operations across five states.

Carla will step into the role upon her return from parental leave in early 2023, with current Chief Development Officer Adele McCarthy leading Yarra Trams as Acting CEO in the interim.

Carla’s appointment will build on Julien’s momentum, providing strong leadership and a vision for the future of Melbourne’s tram network as the business looks towards transforming the tram network and passenger experience post the COVID-19 pandemic, leveraging technology and data to drive improvements and continuing to contribute to Melbourne’s social, economic, and environmental sustainability into the future.

Melbourne has a unique tram network, and nobody knows the business better than native Melburnian Carla, who brings a local lens and diverse experience to the role of CEO, all backed by the support of Australia’s Downer Group and international transport juggernaut Keolis.

“Trams are part of the fabric of Melbourne, and I’m proud to lead such an iconic and essential service as Yarra Trams” said Carla.
“As a born-and-raised Melburnian being able to bring my local perspective, while being able to call on the support of the Downer Group and international expertise and best-practice of Keolis, will ensure trams remain integral to Melbourne for many years to come.”

“As CEO, my focus will be on continuing to deliver exceptional service for our passengers, while continuing to improve and modernise the tram network and ensuring that we have a positive impact on Melbourne’s social, economic, and environmental sustainability over the coming years.”

Carla is a committed leader who consistently delivers results and innovations and puts passenger experience at the heart of her work to ensure that the tram network continues to be a service that Melburnians can be proud of now and into the future. She is a strong advocate for women in the workplace, including in leadership roles.

Since 2018, Carla has had responsibility for service delivery, passenger experience and operational planning and performance, where she has tirelessly sought to deliver an exceptional tram service, by implementing improvements and innovations to ensure passengers choose trams, when they choose to travel.

Carla’s leadership has contributed to delivering 5000 services a day on the world’s largest tram network and Yarra Trams having the most diverse workforce in its history.

Starting her career as a lawyer, Carla later made the move to operations, serving as Qantas' Head of Sydney International Terminal, Qantas' flagship airport and the epicentre of Qantas' international network.

Chief Development Officer Adele McCarthy will serve as Acting CEO. As Chief Development Officer Adele leads advice on future plans, projects and innovations for the tram network and oversees delivery of a portfolio of major projects.

Adele has a strong background in transport strategy and Government, including as Executive General Manager Planning & Precincts at the Suburban Rail Loop Authority, as Director Strategy at Infrastructure Victoria, and as Project Director for the Metro Tunnel Project.

Julien led Yarra Trams through a significant period of change, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Enterprise Agreement negotiations, and delivery of key projects like the rolling stock renewal program, improvement of travel times along major tram corridors, and implementation of new safety standards across the tram network. Julien also led development of Yarra Trams’ strategic direction through the launch in 2022 of the Yarra Way Business Plan.

“I have loved my time with Yarra Trams, and I couldn’t be leaving the business in better hands than with Carla and Adele” said Julien.

“Carla is a seasoned leader with an exceptional track record for delivering innovation and improvement to the network, whilst ensuring that passenger needs remain at the heart of the network. Her appointment reflects Keolis Downer’s values that it will appoint the best person for the role and taking time out of the workforce for parental leave is no obstacle to career progression.”
“When I came on as CEO in January 2020, I never could have guessed what was heading our way. But together, we not only kept our people safe through the pandemic while continuing to run a full service for our community, we also achieved great innovation and moved new projects forward.”

It’s an exciting time for the operator, as passengers return to the tram network and Yarra Trams benefits from innovations delivered during 2020-21 years, including improved network separation, an enhanced customer service approach, timetabling improvements, rolling stock transformation, and increasing diversity and inclusion.