Rick Leary | |
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Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Transit Commission | |
Assumed office c. July 2018 | |
Preceded by | Andy Byford |
In office December 17, 2017 – c. July 2018 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 1963 (age 60–61) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Citizenship |
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Education | Northeastern University ( BBA, MPA) |
Richard J. Leary is an American and Canadian civil servant who has been the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) since 2017. Leary became interim CEO in 2017 following the departure of Andy Byford and took over the role permanently in 2018. Leary was previously general manager of York Region Transit and held senior roles with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).
Richard J. Leary [1] was born in Boston, Massachusetts. [2] His father was a streetcar operator for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). He graduated from Northeastern University with a BBA and an MPA. As well, he completed a graduate program from Harvard University in Administration and Management. [3] [4]
In August 2019, Leary became a Canadian citizen. [2] [5]
Following his father, Leary began working for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority as a subway attendant in 1984. He then moved through various manager and director roles, becoming the chief operating officer of the MBTA in 2005. He retired from the role in November 2009 after failing to appear at a board meeting to address a damning federal safety report. [1]
In 2009, Leary moved to Canada to become the general manager of York Region Transit in Ontario. [6] Leary was praised as ridership grew by 4 million while customer complaints reduced and vehicle reliability increased. [7]
In 2014, Leary was hired as the chief service officer of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) by then-CEO Andy Byford. [8] [9] This role involved management of the TTC's bus and streetcar systems, as well as management of the various Toronto subway stations. Leary's achievements included a large reduction in the number of short turns, [10] improving the quality of service. [11]
In December 2017, Leary was made the interim CEO of the TTC, when his predecessor, Andy Byford left to head the New York City Transit Authority. [12] In July 2018, Leary's interim position was made permanent, following an international search. [13] [14]
In what the CEO described as a "touching" ceremony in Scarborough on Aug. 13, the 55-year-old Boston native took the oath of Canadian citizenship.
Leary graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor's of Business Administration as well as a Master's Degree in Public Administration. Leary later graduated from Harvard University, completing the graduate program in Administration and Management. He is married with three children, the youngest of whom was born here in Ontario in 2013.
On the personal front, Leary and his wife will soon be house hunting in Toronto, to end his lengthy commute from the outlying town of Aurora. 'We even have a little Canadian in our home; our five-year-old son was born after our move to Canada.'
Leary joined York Region as general manager in 2009, after retiring from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. York contracts out about 20 per cent of its service to the TTC, said Leary.
In a wide-ranging interview in the seventh-floor corner office at TTC headquarters recently vacated by former chief executive officer Andy Byford, acting CEO Rick Leary said he was 'putting a Plan B together' in the event the streetcar order is not completed as scheduled.
As the Star reported Monday, the hiring panel struck to find the next chief executive unanimously endorsed Leary about two weeks ago. The Boston native has been serving as acting CEO since December, after Andy Byford left to take a job as president of the New York City Transit Authority.
Finally, at our Board Meeting on Nov. 28 to discuss the budget, I will ask the Board to affirm our Deputy CEO Rick Leary as Acting CEO, effective Dec. 22.