Mary-Jane Walsh Humanizes Transport Systems Through Strategic Storytelling

It’s easy for most people to overlook public transport campaigns. However, Irish marketing strategist Mary-Jane Walsh has millions of commuters engaged with national transport in Ireland. Her initiatives build trust between institutions and the people who depend on transportation services.

The Distance Between People and Systems 

How can technical systems tell human stories? That’s a pressing question public-sector marketing faces. Complex policies, technical data, and regulatory language can make people feel disconnected from the very systems designed to serve them. For many transport authorities, that disconnect can make it harder to communicate priorities and engage the public meaningfully.

Meanwhile, California-based Walsh employs an empathy-driven approach in the U.S. infrastructure sector. “I’m inspired by the idea that marketing can literally build communities, not just figuratively, but physically,” she says. As a result, she helps the firm develop clear, bid-specific marketing collateral for public works contracts in San Francisco.

Public-Sector Storytelling That Moves Communities 

During her time with the National Transport Authority in Ireland, Walsh’s projects required translating technical initiatives into stories that mattered to passengers. Her work ranged from the TFI 90-Minute Fare to the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan. The challenge was to create a sense of ownership among commuters.

Walsh’s campaigns combined bilingual messaging, behavioral data, and storytelling that reflected the rhythms of everyday life. Her work on the TFI 90-Minute Fare helped explain the convenience of integrated ticketing in relatable terms. At the same time, the TFI Young Adult and Student Leap Card campaign focused on young adults starting third-level education, many of them settling into a new city, and highlighted the 50% fare discount available to this age group.

These efforts delivered measurable results, including a nine percent increase in public transport awareness year over year. Recognition followed, including a Silver Shark Award for Best Storytelling Direction for the TFI Brand Campaign and an Irish Media Award for Best Use of Regional Media for TFI Local Link. By grounding data in daily experiences, she helped communities see transport not as bureaucracy, but as something built for them.

Credibility in Technical Communication 

Walsh began her career at the Irish safety engineering firm Mossteck Fire & Security. While there, she managed brand development and bid communications. In this capacity, she learned how to make highly technical information reader-friendly. This skill helped the company secure public-sector contracts worth hundreds of thousands of euros.

That experience molded her conviction that success hinges on credibility and empathy in marketing technical fields. When she later transitioned to national transport campaigns, she brought both rigor and creativity to the table. The result has been storytelling that strengthens public trust in regulated industries.

Irish Strategy Impacts American Infrastructure 

After years of leading award-winning campaigns in Ireland, Walsh relocated to California. Since February, she has worked with Fontenoy Engineering, where her role centers on developing bid-specific marketing collateral for public works contracts in San Francisco. As an infrastructure marketing expert, she builds on her belief that storytelling has a measurable impact.

Walsh’s cross-sector experience gives her a unique advantage. Few strategists can combine the discipline of the public sector with the innovation-driven pace of American engineering and construction. This blend enables her to help firms transform technical jargon into empathetic communication.

Empathy Builds Stronger Campaigns 

Walsh commits to the people behind the numbers. She believes that effective communication begins with listening to commuters, clients, and communities. Her campaigns reflect cultural sensitivity, regional diversity, and a sense of shared purpose.

As a marketing and communications strategist, she demonstrates that effective marketing is about understanding human behavior and business metrics. “I’ve learned that good marketing is about empathy,” Walsh says. “Whether I’m writing a government campaign or a tender submission, success comes from understanding the human side of data.”

Global Influencer in Transport Marketing 

Mary-Jane Walsh’s work helps people understand the value of transportation systems, safety networks, and public works. By merging creativity with accountability, she has impacted what public-sector marketing can accomplish. Her leadership has influenced Ireland’s record-breaking transport campaigns and California’s infrastructure communications. “I bridge public-sector storytelling with private-sector innovation, bringing an international standard of excellence to infrastructure branding,” she says.