Imagine never planning a career in transport and logistics, only to become the CEO of an organisation that is the custodian of a country’s ports, rail network, and pipelines to drive economic growth..
You know her as the CEO of Transnet.. In this exclusive interview with Shipping and Freight Resource, to commemorate her induction into the Hall of Fame at the 3rd South African Shipping Gala on 13th November 2026, Michelle Phillips gives a sneak peek into Michelle the lawyer, the sister, the wife, the CEO, the Hall of Famer, and the person..
Michelle speaks about the personal circumstances that brought her into Transnet, learning operations from the ground up, leading through one of the organisation’s most difficult periods, creating opportunities for women, and the people who continue to inspire her..
From law into operations
Michelle Phillips never planned a career in transport and logistics.. She wanted to be a lawyer, and from a very young age she was certain that was where her future lay, and she was on her way to achieve that..
But a personal tragedy in the form of her sister’s death saw Michelle returning to Port Elizabeth to support her family that needed her..
An encouragement from a friend led her to apply for a position at Transnet, which she got in 1999, and the rest is history, as they say.
Realising early that advising an operational business required a deeper understanding of what its people actually did, she asked her boss at the time, Nad Govender, to teach her the business so she could become a better lawyer for it.
If you want me to be a really good lawyer for your business, you need to teach me your business.
That meant leaving the office and spending time with operators, sitting in machines, learning how people worked, and understanding the decisions they made every day..
“I just fell deeply, deeply in love with transport and logistics.. And this is where I am now after 27 years.”
Leading when people needed something to believe in
Michelle took over Transnet’s leadership during an exceptionally difficult period for the organisation.. Employees were dealing with the aftermath of COVID, internal leadership pressures, and sustained and relentless public criticism of Transnet and its performance..
When the board asked her to step into the role in an acting capacity, she naturally turned to employees with whom she had grown up in the organization, customers who had seen her grow over many years, and, of course, her husband, and the overwhelming response was that she needed to do it..
That experience taught her something about leadership that reaches beyond the formal appointment..
People observe you, and therefore, the way you lead your life and the way you treat people is always going to almost come back to you.
Michelle says she discovered that she was more resilient and thoughtful than she had realised.. She also understood that Transnet’s employees needed something to believe in after a bruising period for the organisation..
Her approach has centred on respect, inclusion in decision-making, bringing people to the table, and solving problems with teams.. She describes leadership as giving people a sense that their contribution matters and that they are part of the cause..
Opening operational careers to more women
Michelle Phillips and Sandra Sarno are being inducted as the first 2 women in the South African Shipping Gala Hall of Fame.. Michelle described sharing that recognition with Sandra, whom she has known for many years, as deeply meaningful..
She also recognises that much more work remains in creating opportunities for women across transport and logistics.. Her own career is an example of why operational exposure matters..
Michelle was part of an early Women in Operations programme at Transnet and continues to support programmes that move people from office-based roles closer to the operational business.. Her example is simple: someone working in procurement should understand what they are buying, rather than knowing only the purchasing process..
Today, women work across Transnet as pilots, train drivers, crane and straddle-carrier operators, RTG drivers, engineers, instrumentation specialists, and scientists in the pipeline business.. Phillips wants those opportunities to keep expanding through development programmes, universities, academic institutions, schools, procurement policies, and CSI initiatives..
As much as we can do now to open up the spaces… we need to continue to do to ensure that people are exposed to what it is that we do.
The people who inspire Michelle Phillips
When asked about who inspires her, Michelle did not reach first for a famous business leader or public figure.. She spoke about the daily workers, her parents, her sister Berenice, friends, mentors, her husband, her children, teachers, and people who helped her when she was young..
Her father had little formal education, but worked hard and wanted the generation after him to finish school.. Her mother’s words stayed with her through difficult periods later in life, including a message to remain strong and keep the bright side up..
She also spoke about teachers and friends who quietly helped her when she struggled, mentors who took her under their wing, and Transnet employees who continue to work in difficult conditions and arrive each day determined to make the system work..
I’m more inspired by, I suppose, traits in people.
Integrity is one of those traits.. Michelle’s own rule is direct: keep your head held high, do not lie, do not steal, and remain a person of integrity.. She says that makes decisions much easier..
A different view of the person behind the position
Michelle describes herself as a private person.. Much of the public discussion around her role naturally centres on Transnet’s performance, its ports and rail network, reform, customers, and the South African economy..
This conversation offered a different view: how a lawyer became an operator, how personal loss altered the direction of a career, what leadership felt like when an organisation was under pressure, and why the people closest to the work still shape the way she thinks..
A true Hall of Famer..
You can view the full interview below..
Executive Insights is a series by Shipping and Freight Resource featuring industry leaders sharing their perspectives on the issues shaping global shipping, freight, logistics, and trade..
