High Profile: STM, Road & Rail Services

Marie-Claude Léonard, CEO of STM (Société de transport de Montréal) (Photograph Courtesy of STM)

STM (Société de transport de Montréal) has elevated Marie-Claude Léonard to CEO. Also, third-party logistics provider Road & Rail Services, LLC (R&RS) has appointed Robert D. Coleman President.

At STM, Marie-Claude Léonard signed on for a five-year term as CEO, a position she’s held on an interim basis since March.

Léonard has served STM for 30 years, getting her start as an agent when she was a student. She rose through the management ranks and was named Executive Director, Bus and Métro Operations in September 2021, before becoming interim CEO. Léonard has been a member of the STM Executive Committee for the past six years, and serves on several international committees, including the Policy Board of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP).

“We chose the best candidate for the job, through a months-long process that involved meeting several internal and external candidates,” said Éric Alan Caldwell, Chair of the STM Board of Directors and of the Selection Committee. “A standout for her acute understanding of customer needs and operational realities, Ms. Léonard also demonstrated an ability to take a fresh look at things and make the necessary decisions to achieve our objectives. Amid the pandemic and various financial issues, the STM now needs to reinvent itself. Our new CEO’s leadership, nerve and ability to rally our organization’s greatest strengths will allow us to transform our processes and continue providing Montrealers with access to an efficient, appealing, high-performance public transit network for years to come.”

“I would like to thank the members of the Selection Committee, the Board of Directors and Mr. Caldwell for their confidence,” Léonard said. “I am truly honored. It is with renewed pride and excitement that I take up my position as CEO of the STM. …”

In related developments, STM’s C$492.3 million Côte-Vertu underground train storage facility officially opened in June.

Robert D. Coleman has joined R&RS as President, succeeding Kevin Brandon, who remains as Executive Vice President and will work to transition company leadership over the coming months. Coleman previously served Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions, LLC, holding financial and process transformation roles.

“We welcome Bob into the R&RS family,” Brandon said. “His track record, prior strategic planning experience and excitement about our business make him a great fit to join our team.”

“I am incredibly excited to join R&RS,” Coleman said. “We have an exceptionally talented and dedicated team at R&RS. The values of the company—safety, integrity, customer focus—are values that I wholeheartedly share. I look forward to building on the foundation that Kevin has assembled, and to a future where we continue to unlock value opportunities for our customers.”