The Australasian Fleet Management Association (AfMA) has recently named Theresa Labuschagne of KiwiRail Holdings Limited as the inaugural winner of the Women in Fleet Management (WIFM) Award for her leadership in fleet safety, risk management, industry collaboration, and advocacy for women across the fleet sector.
With more than 20 years of experience spanning healthcare, manufacturing, mining exploration, nuclear operations, and rail, Theresa has played a leading role in advancing motor vehicle safety initiatives across KiwiRail’s national operations. Her work has combined risk and change management with practical fleet safety outcomes, workforce engagement, and cross-industry collaboration.
Driving Fleet Safety Through Risk and Change Leadership
Although her primary role sits within safety, health and wellbeing risk systems management rather than traditional fleet management, Labuschagne has led and co-led a wide range of initiatives that have contributed to improved fleet safety outcomes across KiwiRail’s operations. She is an advocate for the organisation’s brand – ‘stronger connections, and a better New Zealand’.
Working alongside internal business units, fleet providers, regulators, unions, and operational teams, she helped establish and support multiple programs focused on driver safety, compliance, vehicle risk management, and behavioural change.
Among the initiatives she was involved in were:
- Annual National Road Safety Week campaigns from 2021 to 2025
- Reviews and updates to KiwiRail’s Motor Vehicle Policy and driver guidance frameworks
- Development of a “Drive to Stay Alive” eLearning module
- Enhanced telematics reporting and monitoring systems
- Overspeed risk management programs and Trigger Action Response Plans (TARP)
- HiRail vehicle ergonomics and design working groups (this is ongoing)
- Enterprise motor vehicle collision and roll-over critical risk reviews
Her work also supported stronger integration between fleet operations, health and safety systems, operational improvement teams, HR, IT, finance, and executive leadership.
“Congratulations on adding the Heart to your framework,” wrote one leader. “It’s great to see you staying true to your north star.”
Delivering Measurable Fleet Safety Outcomes
A significant focus of Labuschagne’s work centred on the management of speeding behaviours across KiwiRail’s fleet operations.
Following escalation of the issue to executive leadership in 2023, a strategic speeding working group was established, leading to major improvements in reporting, oversight, and response management.
Key outcomes included:
- More than 72 per cent reduction in overspeed incidents
- More than 85 per cent reduction in overspeed events exceeding two minutes
- Elimination of overspeed events exceeding four minutes
- More than 79 per cent reduction in “fob-on” compliance issues related to driver identification
- The initiative also introduced six formalised Trigger Action Response Plans covering multiple speed zones and high-risk overspeed events.
Theresa also helped facilitate upgrades to KiwiRail’s reporting and telematics systems, transitioning from manual spreadsheet-based reporting to integrated PowerBI and API-enabled dashboards that improved data visibility and operational oversight.
Improving Vehicle Safety and Operational Design
Labuschagne played a co-facilitation role in KiwiRail’s HiRail Vehicle ergonomics and design working group, which reviewed vehicle safety, usability, and worker requirements.
The working group identified multiple improvements for future fleet specifications, including upgraded seating configurations, improved access and egress, revised seating capacities, upgraded hand grips and steps, and reassessment of vehicle weight allocations.
The initiative focused on improving worker safety, ergonomics, and operational suitability for rail maintenance teams using HiRail vehicles across the network.
Supporting Learning, Awareness, and Workforce Engagement
In 2024, Labuschagne personally developed KiwiRail’s internal “Drive to Stay Alive” eLearning module, designed to improve awareness and understanding of vehicle safety risks and legal obligations.
The course covered topics including:
- Driver fitness and competency
- Vehicle hazards
- Environmental and road factors
- Tyre safety
- Following and stopping distances
- Journey and risk awareness
- The module was integrated into KiwiRail’s competency framework and has already been completed by more than 2107 employees.
Alongside formal training, she also led workshops and collaborative working groups designed to bring together operational teams, unions, fleet stakeholders, and leadership representatives to support practical safety improvements.
“Theresa, your enthusiasm and knowledge for your profession is contagious and commendable. I really enjoyed being part of the (working) group. The strength and drive you have to facilitate such big topics is incredible!”
Championing Women Across the Industry
As the inaugural recipient of the Women in Fleet Management Award, Labuschagne was also recognised for her commitment to supporting and advocating for women within her organisation and the broader industry.
At KiwiRail, she is part of the organisation’s Mana Wahine women’s network, has supported peer-to-peer mentoring and psychosocial wellbeing discussions, and created opportunities for women to participate in professional development activities and leadership forums.
She also maintained active connections with women across the fleet and safety sectors through organisations and networks including AfMA, BrakeNZ, SGFleet, TelarcNavman, Watercare, and Fletchers Construction.
Theresa has participated in Women in Health and Safety Excellence New Zealand (WISENZ) leadership initiatives since 2023 and was one of 25 women across Auckland selected to attend a strategic leadership workshop in 2024.
She is an accredited chartered manager with the Institute of Managers and Leaders Australia/New Zealand, and participates in the Professional Support Network Series. These monthly sessions bring together industry leaders from Australia and New Zealand to coach, mentor, share, connect and grow.
Industry Leadership and Advocacy
She has become a recognised voice in fleet safety and critical risk management across New Zealand and Australasia.
In 2024, she was named the Australasian Fleet Champions Road Risk Manager of the Year, while KiwiRail received a Highly Commended Company Fleet Safety Award. In 2025, she was again recognised with a Highly Commended Road Risk Manager award and was a keynote speaker at the BrakeNZ and AfMA Annual Fleet Seminar.
Her case study presentation, “KiwiRail’s Journey to Managing Speeding Behaviours”, highlighted the organisation’s work on telematic reporting systems, driver behaviour management, and safety engagement initiatives.
Theresa was a speaker at the Brightstar Health and Safety Leaders’ Summit (presentation titled Critical Risk and Beyond) and co-authored a technical paper (KiwiRail Journey to Proactive Severe Weather Management), presented at the Conference for Rail Excellence “CORE2025”, and re-presented the same presentation at the Rail Technical Society of Australia “RTSA” – NZ Chapter in February 2026.
She also volunteers her time and expertise at her son’s local North Shore City Baseball Club, and the regional Auckland Baseball Association (“ABA”). Theresa was voted as Club Secretary and Executive Committee Member for the 2024/5 season, volunteered as 16U Team Manager for the 2025/6 club season, and volunteered as Executive Officer for their 16U team’s Baseball New Zealand National Youth Championships held in Tauranga April 2026.
In April 2026, her peers nominated her for the annual Auckland Baseball Association Volunteer of the Year Award.
The Path Forward
Theresa continues to focus on advancing critical risk management, human-centred health and safety approaches, and driver safety within KiwiRail.
Her ‘Head-Heart-Hands’ leadership style demonstrates the growing importance of collaboration, behavioural change, operational engagement, and leadership in improving fleet safety outcomes across complex organisations.
AfMA congratulates Theresa Labuschagne on becoming the inaugural winner of the 2026 Women in Fleet Management Award. Thank you for your ongoing contribution to fleet safety, leadership, and industry advocacy.
We would also like to thank our WIFM Award Sponsors, Smartfleet and BOQ Finance.
Career Highlights
- More than 20 years of experience across safety, risk, and operational leadership
- Led or co-led multiple fleet safety and motor vehicle risk initiatives at KiwiRail
- Delivered annual National Road Safety Week campaigns from 2021–2025
- Developed KiwiRail’s “Drive to Stay Alive” eLearning program
- Helped achieve a 72 per cent reduction in overspeed incidents
- Facilitated improvements to telematics and reporting systems
- Supported enterprise motor vehicle and critical risk reviews
- Co-facilitated HiRail vehicle ergonomics and safety improvements
- Advocated for women through mentoring, leadership support, and industry engagement
- Presented at industry conferences and professional development forums
- 2024 Australasian Fleet Champions Road Risk Manager of the Year recipient
- 2025 Highly Commended Road Risk Manager recognition recipient
- 2026 Auckland Baseball Association Volunteer of the Year Nominee
