On Monday 16 February 2026, IPAA Queensland kicked off the 2026 program with our Stewards on the Couch series, welcoming Kat Stapleton, CEO of Queensland Rail, to the IPAA couch. Kat offered insight into the realities of leading a large, high-accountability organisation, where safety, reliability and customer experience are non-negotiable.

Across the conversation, Kat shared practical reflections on stewardship, public value, and leading through pressure and disruption. Below are five short clip highlights from the discussion.

Customers first. Taxpayers always

A key theme was staying grounded in why rail matters. The conversation returned to the basics of public service delivery, helping people get where they need to be, and earning trust through the way decisions are made. Kat also spoke directly about the responsibility that comes with public investment and the importance of being respectful of taxpayers’ funding.

Key takeaway: Stewardship is customer focus, plus accountability for how public money is used.

Public value starts with access

Kat reflected on public value in practical terms. Reliable public services expand opportunity and enable participation, particularly for people who rely on public transport to access work, education and healthcare. It is a reminder that strong service delivery is not just operational performance, it is a foundation for inclusion, productivity and quality of life.

Key takeaway: Public value is built when services remove barriers and connect people to what matters.

Plan. Practise. Deliver.

In a high-stakes operating environment, leadership is built on discipline. Kat spoke about preparation, planning, clear protocols and what it means to create a one team culture across people and partners. When pressure rises, it is not improvisation that carries the day, it is the work done beforehand, repeated and refined, so teams can deliver safely and consistently.

Key takeaway: Under pressure, disciplined preparation and clear roles are what make reliability possible.

Lead through disruption

Leadership is tested when disruption hits. The discussion touched on how large service systems respond when conditions change quickly, including activating protocols, balancing competing priorities across regions, and staying focused on safety and the customer experience.

Key takeaway: When disruption hits, strong response comes from prepared teams, clear protocols and steady decision-making.

Better journeys take a system

Looking ahead, Kat spoke about Queensland’s next era of rail and what it will take to deliver lasting value as the state moves towards 2032. A consistent point was that success depends on the sector working as one coordinated system. Integration across transport modes and technology helps make journeys simpler and improves the customer experience end to end.

Key takeaway: Better outcomes come when agencies and partners design for the whole journey, not isolated parts.

Want to watch the full recording? IPAA Queensland’s individual members can access it via the members portal.

IPAA Queensland acknowledges our event partner, Orchard Talent Group, whose support helps bring the Stewards on the Couch series to life. We thank Orchard Talent Group for their continued commitment to strengthening capability and leadership across the public purpose sector.

Orchard Talent Group is more than a search firm. We are your partner in public value. Born from the need for capable, values-aligned leadership in complex times, we help organisations navigate reform, uncertainty and opportunity with people strategies that deliver lasting outcomes. Guided by our purpose to elevate people, organisations and sectors, we work alongside our partners to reshape systems, strengthen capability and realise impact, contributing meaningfully to a stronger tomorrow, today.

Kat was appointed Queensland Rail CEO on 14 April 2022, following her tenure as CFO since 2019. She is a high-impact, agile leader with extensive executive experience across finance, commercial, and operational roles in public and private sectors, locally and internationally. Her career includes senior positions at nbnCo and Bahrain Telecommunications, where she led large-scale transformation programs in complex environments.

Kat began her professional journey as a naval warfare officer in the Royal Canadian Navy, gaining early leadership experience through operational sea-going assignments. She is known for her strategic thinking, customer-centric approach, and commitment to driving innovation and sustainability in transport.

Kat is currently an Australasian Railway Association (ARA) Director, member of the Rail Industry Innovation Council, and sits on the CEDA Queensland State Advisory Council.

Stewards on the Couch is a regular and highly popular feature of IPAA’s annual event program, where one or more chief executives sit down for an informal, conversational-style interview.

These events provide the IPAA community an opportunity to learn more about the influences, priorities, and core values of stewards leading public purpose work along with the key challenges and opportunities facing their organisation and/or sector. Guests are invited to stay for networking and refreshments after the interview.