From retail to transportation, Keely Abbot reflects on her journey to Kinetic
It’s been 12 months since Keely Abbot was appointed Manager of Kinetic’s Sunshine Coast operations.
Keely first joined Kinetic in 2023, transitioning from her role as Executive Manager of Store Operations at Aldi Australia as part of Kinetic’s 2024 ‘Future CEO’ initiative, supporting women into senior decision-making roles in transportation.
Intended to be an 18-month program, Keely graduated early and was offered the manager role overseeing Kinetic’s operations on the Sunshine Coast. After twelve months in the job, and relocating from Melbourne, Keely is grateful for the business experience she gained.
“Coming into Kinetic from my previous role at a national retailer, I had no idea how a bus company ran. It had never occurred to me that there could be more than one type of bus.
As part of the program, Keely gained experience in fleet admin, people and safety, operation control centres, customer service and worked as a driver.
“Spending time with all of those areas of the business gave me a nice overview before coming into the manager's position,” Keely said.
“I can understand what other parts of the business are doing and why they make their decisions. That’s not something that a lot of my fellow operations people would have had a chance to see.
As Manager - Sunshine Coast, Keely works between the Marcoola and Caloundra depots.
“There’s a massive mix of things day-to-day. I’m in and out of meetings, I look after depot maintenance, contracts, reporting and I assist our operations teams in getting the buses out onto the road.
“But I am also there to help people,” Keely said. “I really want to build a supportive workplace and ensure everyone in the team is happy.
For Keely some of the best days on the job come from seeing people succeed in their roles.
“Through our Women Up Front program, we’re getting new people in, training them and seeing the excitement they have once they’re out on the road. It’s really great to be a part of that.”
Having spent the last two years working in transport, Keely has been surprised by the career options available within the transportation industry.
“It’s not an industry that people necessarily imagine for themselves when they turn 18, or even when they're five or six.
“After being in the industry, it is a much more worthwhile career than I ever expected. Especially working in urban transport and having that connection with the community.”
With experience in both Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast Keely sees an opportunity for Queensland transport to improve its public transportation options.
“I’ve recently read that the Sunshine Coast is one of the most car reliant cities in Australia,” Keely said.
“We’re trying to establish public transport as something that people want to catch in Queensland, not just something that they have to catch. Trying to grow that idea has been a really enjoyable part of the last year.
With plans to establish a Kinetic depot in Noosa, Keely is eager to grow the local operations
“It would mean new buses, service changes, a complete rejig of what we're currently doing which would be really, really exciting.
In addition to her manager role, Keely is also a member of the Public Transport Association Australia New Zealand (PTAANZ) Emerging Mobility Leaders (EML) Committee.
“We run information sessions and webinars on public transport, encourage people into transport and support young people within the industry,’ Keely said.
“I'm excited to see how that works alongside of my role at Kinetic.”
Further enquiries
Loni Jeffs
Communications Specialist
loni.jeffs@wearekinetic.com