Airline Veteran New Amtrak CSO

Written by Andrew Corselli
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Steve Predmore, a 30-year aviation and bus safety professional, has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Safety Officer at Amtrak, effective Nov. 4, 2019. Predmore will succeed Ken Hylander, who will return to retirement on Nov. 15, 2019.

Predmore will report to Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating and Commercial Officer Stephen Gardner, and will be responsible for safety planning, training and performance across the Amtrak national network. Predmore succeeds Ken Hylander, who will return to retirement on Nov. 15, 2019.

Reporting to Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating and Commercial Officer Stephen Gardner, Predmore will be responsible for safety planning, training and performance across the Amtrak national network, in charge of the railroad’s consolidated safety division, which includes the System Safety, Compliance and Training, Environmental Compliance, Sustainability and Public Health groups.

Predmore joins Amtrak with nearly 30 years of experience in aviation, oil and gas, and contracted passenger services (paratransit/demand response, fixed-route municipal transit, corporate/airline shuttles and school bus operations), most recently as Vice President and Chief Safety Officer of the Bristow Group, a provider of rotary and fixed-wing aviation services for offshore transportation and search and rescue. During his five-year tenure, Predmore implemented the Federal Aviation Administration’s SMS (Safety Management System) model within several businesses, among them offshore helicopter services. 

Prior to Bristow, Predmore was Senior Vice President of Safety for MV Transportation, the largest private U.S. provider of contracted passenger bus services.

Predmore has almost two decades of commercial airline industry experience. From 2001 to 2012, he served as Vice President and Chief Safety Officer for JetBlue Airways. Prior to that, he spent seven years at Delta Air Lines in a series of safety, quality and human factor).

Predmore earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Drake University. He also holds a Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Texas-Austin.

 “We are pleased to welcome Steve to Amtrak as a recognized leader in the implementation and operation of Safety Management Systems (SMS),” said Gardner. “He has a deep understanding of system safety, human factors and human performance that will help us build and sustain a high-performing safety culture.”

In his role, Predmore will aim to lead the company’s consolidated safety resources, a team that includes the System Safety, Compliance and Training, Environmental Compliance, Sustainability and Public Health groups.

Predmore joins Amtrak with nearly 30 years of experience “in protecting employees and customers in high-risk industries, including aviation, oil and gas, and contracted passenger services.” He most recently served as Vice President and Chief Safety Officer of the Bristow Group, a provider of rotary and fixed wing aviation services for offshore transportation and search and rescue. During his five-year tenure, Predmore “successfully implemented the SMS model within several high-risk businesses, including offshore helicopter services.”

Prior to Bristow, Predmore was Senior Vice President of Safety for MV Transportation—a private U.S. provider of contracted passenger services, including paratransit/demand response, fixed-route municipal transit, corporate/airline shuttles and school bus operations—from 2012-2013.

Predmore has almost two decades of experience in the aviation industry. From 2001 to 2012, he served as Vice President and Chief Safety Officer for JetBlue Airways. During his tenure, “JetBlue achieved the No. 1 ranking as the major U.S. airline with the lowest employee injury rate. Predmore built the foundation for his aviation expertise at Delta Air Lines through a series of safety, quality and human factor roles (1991-1996).”

Predmore earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Drake University. He also holds a Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Texas-Austin.

“We are pleased to welcome Steve to Amtrak as a recognized leader in the implementation and operation of Safety Management Systems (SMS),” said Gardner. “He has a deep understanding of system safety, human factors and human performance that will help us build and sustain a high-performing safety culture.”

The re-retiring Ken Hylander, like his successor, came to Amtrak in January 2018 from the aviation industry, having served as CSO at Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines.

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