The transport and logistics sector is facing growing driver shortages, putting pressure on efficiency, costs, and reliability. At the same time, Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) are emerging as a potential solution to help bridge this gap. In this session, speakers from Einride and Bishop Consulting will explore whether and how driverless and remotely operated vehicle solutions can realistically address workforce challenges. Drawing on practical experience, policy insights, and ongoing deployments, the discussion will focus on the opportunities, limitations, and conditions needed for CAVs to become a viable part of the transport system.
Randell Iwasaki is an accomplished Executive Director with extensive experience in delivering projects, programs, and innovations in the public sector transportation industry. He is a strong business development professional with expertise in Environmental Awareness, Highway Design, Contract and Construction Management, Innovation, and Transportation Planning.
Randell began his career at the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in 1983, where he rose through the ranks to become Chief Deputy Director from 2004 to 2009 and then Director from 2009 to 2010, having been appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger. During his time at Caltrans, he received the Charles H. Purcell Award for managerial excellence, given by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the "Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers" award from Government Technology Magazine.
Following his tenure at Caltrans, Randell served for over a decade as the Executive Director of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, one of the most innovative transportation agencies in the United States. While there, he founded GoMentum Station, the largest secure automated vehicle test facility in the nation.
After his time at the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, Randell joined Amazon Web Services (AWS) as the Leader of State and Local Transportation. In this role, he led AWS’s data support and analysis services for state and local transportation agencies, including artificial intelligence applications, new technology development, policy and planning analysis, and traffic operations support.
Currently, Randell is the President and CEO of Iwasaki Consulting Services, Inc. He also serves as a Board Member at Advanced Mobility Analytics Group and Moffatt & Nichol and is a Senior Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, where he works part-time.
Randell is an internationally recognized leader in transportation research and innovation, particularly in automated and connected vehicle technology development and testing. He has been involved in numerous TRB committees and research panels, often as chair, and served as Chair of the USDOT’s Freight Advisory Committee for three years.
Among his many accolades, Randell received the Thomas H. MacDonald Memorial Award from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials for his contributions to highway engineering. In 2016, Eno Transportation and Shared Mobility Strategies identified him as one of the top 10 public sector transportation innovators in the nation.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Randell has made significant contributions to education. He donated an Intelligent Transportation Systems Laboratory to the College of Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he also served on the Industry Advisory Board and Dean's Advisory Council before his term ended. He continues to support the university's student chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers through guest lectures and mentorship.
Richard Bishop, Principal, Next Generation Mobility LLC, has over 30 years of experience in the domain of intelligent, connected, and automated vehicles and how these interact with our transportation system and society, including automated cars, trucks, and robotaxis. He provides strategic consulting to automotive manufacturers, suppliers, and tech firms, as well as advising federal and state government agencies in the U.S. and abroad. He led Team Lux in the DARPA Urban Challenge and since then has “surfed the wave” of AV development, working with a wide array of Automated Driving System developers. Mr. Bishop has published extensively on Forbes.com as well as self-publishing. Prior to establishing Bishop Consulting in 1997, Mr. Bishop was Program Manager for Vehicle-Highway Automation at the USDOT Federal Highway Administration.
