What does the future of tolling look like—and how are emerging technologies reshaping the way we move? In this episode of Toll Talk, hosts Kalie Jakovics and Alex Fakeri sit down with Saida Williams, Commercial Director of Traffic & Infrastructure at Indra, to explore the innovations driving the next generation of tolling, transportation, and mobility. With nearly three decades of tolling expertise and technology deployments around the globe, Indra is helping redefine how road networks operate through AI, connected vehicle technology, open-road tolling, and smart infrastructure solutions. Saida shares her journey into the industry, her leadership role within IBTTA, and her perspective on how tolling has evolved from traditional collection systems into intelligent mobility ecosystems designed to improve efficiency, safety, and the customer experience. Whether you’re a tolling professional, transportation leader, technology provider, or simply curious about the future of mobility, this conversation offers valuable insights into where the industry is headed next. Learn More About Indra: https://www.indragroup.com Connect with Us: Saida Williams – https://www.linkedin.com/in/saida-williams-6055a32/ Alex Fakeri – https://www.linkedin.com/in/fakeri/ Kalie Jakovics – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalie-lastagarkov/ Sponsored by CSG Thanks to CSG for supporting this episode. CSG is leading innovation in tolling and mobility solutions across the globe. Learn more: https://www.csgi.com/industries/tolling-and-smart-mobility Subscribe to Toll Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping the future of tolling, mobility, payments, and transportation technology. #TollTalk #Tolling #TransportationTechnology #SmartMobility #ITS #ConnectedVehicles #AI #Infrastructure #IBTTA #OpenRoadTolling #TrafficManagement #MobilityInnovation #Indra #Transportation

In this special Juneteenth episode of Toll Talk Podcast, hosts Kalie Jakovics and Alex Fakeri bring together an extraordinary panel of transportation and infrastructure leaders to discuss leadership, opportunity, representation, and the future of our industry. This conversation highlights the vital role transportation plays in connecting communities, supporting economic mobility, and ensuring opportunity for all. Through stories of perseverance, mentorship, and service, our guests remind us that leadership is about more than building infrastructure—it’s about building pathways for others to succeed.

On this episode of Toll Talk, hosts Alex Fakeri and Kalie Jakovics sit down with Luis Guzman, Senior Sales Executive, Strategic Partnerships at CSG, for an in-depth conversation on the evolution of payments, customer experience, and the technologies reshaping the transportation and tolling industry. From AI-driven payment orchestration and digital wallets to interoperability, embedded finance, and serving unbanked communities, Luis shares insights from decades in the payments industry and explains why the future is about far more than just transactions.

In this episode, hosts Kalie Jakovics and Alex Fakeri are joined by JJ Eden (Executive Director) and Manish Chourey (CTO) of the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA). Together, they dive into one of the biggest topics in transportation today: The evolving customer experience in tolling. From friction in the customer journey to the future of in-vehicle payments, this conversation explores what’s actually working, what’s falling short, and why solving these challenges is more complex than it seems.

In this episode of Toll Talk, we sit down with Joi Taylor Dean, CEO of the Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority and President of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, to explore what’s next for the tolling and transportation industry. From a non-traditional path into tolling to leading one of the industry’s most influential organizations, Joi shares how her journey shaped her leadership style—and her bold vision for the future.

In this episode of Toll Talk, we sit down with Mark Chung, Executive Director & CEO of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, for a powerful conversation on the future of tolling, transportation, and mobility. Mark shares his journey into the industry, the experiences that shaped his leadership, and his vision for IBTTA as it helps guide agencies through rapid change and increasing complexity. We dive into the evolving role of IBTTA as a global connector and convener, bringing together agencies, partners, and policymakers to collaborate, share best practices, and shape the future of infrastructure.

In today’s world of constant notifications, emails, and texts, one question matters more than ever: why don’t customers trust your messages? In this episode, host Alexander Fakeri sits down in person with Keith Wilson, Executive Director of Product at CSG, to unpack the real reasons behind declining trust and what organizations can do to fix it. From tolling and telecom to retail and financial services, Keith shares insights from powering billions of customer communications and reveals what actually drives engagement, response, and trust in today’s digital landscape.

In this episode of Toll Talk, hosts Alexander Fakeri and Kalie Jakovics are joined by Kevin Bennick, Chief Revenue Officer at SWC Group, to discuss revenue recovery, AI in customer service centers, and the economic outlook for 2026. Kevin shares insights from working with tolling authorities nationwide, including why lowest-bid procurement may be weakening recovery programs, how proactive outreach improves collections, and what smarter, multi-tiered strategies look like in today’s environment.

In this episode of Toll Talk, host Alexander Fakeri is joined in person by guest host Christine Korenek, PMP, Senior Sales Executive at CSG, and returning guest Pat Wicketts, Executive Director of Communication, Design & Delivery at CSG, for a deep dive into what it really takes to build trust and improve customer experience (CX) in tolling. Fresh off IBTTA in Denver, Pat shares insights from a Customer Experience Roundtable and explores why billing timeliness, proactive communication, and transparency are no longer “nice to have” — they’re essential. From invoice delivery and digital notifications to predictive customer service and seamless payments, this conversation breaks down how agencies can move from reactive problem-solving to proactive, customer-first strategies.

In this episode of Toll Talk, we sit down with Josh Kissel, Customer Success Manager at TrafficVision, to explore how video analytics and AI are transforming traffic management, tolling operations, and incident response across roads, bridges, and tunnels. Together with hosts Alex Fakeri and Kalie Jakovics, we dive into how intelligent video systems are helping agencies detect incidents faster, improve safety, validate toll revenue, and support long-term infrastructure planning — all while complementing (not replacing) human operators in Traffic Management Centers.