Sarfaraz Samnakay is an experienced senior executive, passionate about building strong foundations to drive employee, team and business success. He combines his commercial expertise and technical knowledge to bring unique insights and understanding to stakeholders at all levels. As Managing Director and Country Representative for Hitachi Rail Australia, Sarfaraz leads a dedicated team of 600 known for technical excellence and for delivering world-class solutions that are shaping the future of rail in Australia. Strategic and relationship-focused, his goal is to add value to every stakeholder – working with rail owners and operators to unlock new opportunities through digital technologies and genuine collaboration. From industry-leading signalling and train control systems for safe and seamless passenger travel to 24/7 automated systems that drive productivity and efficiencies for the freight and heavy haul sector, Sarfaraz and his team is working closely with customers, to provide insights and expertise across the entire system architecture and project lifecycle. Sarfaraz became Managing Director in May 2023, and has more than 18 years’ experience in the field of railway technology across the mobility, mining and resources industries. Adaptable and flexible in challenging business and project environments, Sarfaraz has worked with multi-cultural and cross-functional teams on large and complex projects, both under competitive and collaborative models, in Australia and the Asia Pacific region. Sarfaraz has a bachelor’s degree in engineering and an MBA from the University of Western Australia, and a Master of Project Management from Curtin University.
Champions of Change Rail Group
Sarfaraz Samnakay is a Member of the Champions of Change Rail Group. The Group brings together representatives from the rail sector. Members are committed to working within and across their organisations to achieving inclusive gender equality and a significant and sustainable increase in the representation of women in leadership.