Mario Péloquin Tapped to Lead VIA Rail
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Mario Péloquin, incoming President and CEO of VIA Rail Canada Inc.
Mario Péloquin on June 12 will take over as President and CEO of VIA Rail Canada Inc., succeeding Cynthia Garneau, who in May 2022 gave up leadership after three years.
Martin R. Landry, VIA Rail’s Chief Commercial Affairs Officer, has been serving as interim CEO.
Péloquin’s five-year appointment follows “an open, transparent and merit-based selection process” and consultation with the VIA Rail Board of Directors, Transport Canada Minister Omar Alghabra announced May 16.
A nearly 40-year transportation industry veteran, Péloquin served most recently as Executive Vice President, Major Projects for the Keolis Group. He has also worked at Aecon Group Inc. as Vice President Operations (2021-22); at New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority as Chief Operating Officer (2020-21); at SNC-Lavalin as Senior Vice President, Business Development and Proposals (2018-19); at Thales Transport and Security Ltd. as President and CEO (2017-18); at Nova Bus as General Manager and Vice President (2017) and Vice President Business Line (2016-17); at Thales Canada–Transportation Solutions as Vice President Business Development (2011-16); at AECOM as Associate Vice President, Canadian Transit Market Sector (2009-11); and at Siemens Canada Limited as Director, Mobility-Rail (2004-09). He began his career in 1984 as CN’s Chief Rail Traffic Controller in Toronto, and later moved on to become Senior Advisor, Rail Safety at Transport Canada, Senior Investigator at the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, and Manager Light Rail for the city of Ottawa.
“Mr. Péloquin brings considerable experience in the transportation and rail industry into his new role and is well suited to lead VIA Rail over the coming years,” Alghabra said. “I wish Mr. Péloquin every success as he continues to connect Canadians, from coast-to-coast-to-coast.”
