Keolis Tabs Thomas as President, COO of U.S. Transit

Brad Thomas, incoming President and Chief Operating Officer for U.S. Transit business at Keolis.

Brad Thomas on April 1 will take on the role of President and Chief Operating Officer for U.S. Transit business at Keolis North America (Keolis).

Since 2009, Thomas has served as the CEO, President of First Transit and First Vehicle Services. He led the organization through two transactions, first to a private equity firm and most recently to another private-sector operator, Transdev, according to Keolis. During Thomas’ tenure, First Transit was one of the largest passenger transportation contractors in North America, with operations throughout the continental U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, Panama, and India. Under his leadership, the company doubled top-line revenue; grew the business to 300 contracts; expanded the portfolio outside of North America into Central America and India; and managed several strategic acquisitions, Keolis reported. Thomas has also served as the Chair of the Board for the North American Transit Alliance from 2020-23 and currently sits on the Board of the National Safety Council.

Thomas will be based out of Keolis’ Boston headquarters. He will report to the North America CEO, David Scorey, and sit on the Executive Committee.

Keolis’s transit business in North America has doubled in size in the past four months with the addition of new contracts in Austin, Tex. (becoming CapMetro’s operating partner for bus service), and Phoenix, Ariz. (delivering operations and maintenance management for more than 30 fixed-route, express, and circulator bus routes), according to the company, which noted that it continues its “growth ambitions and looks forward to Brad’s leadership to further the momentum across the United States.”

Keolis also operates Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s 14 commuter rail lines serving the Greater Boston region and Rhode Island, and Virginia Railway Express, a commuter rail line serving the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. It provides other transit services in California, Florida, Nevada, Virginia, and Canada.

“Brad’s depth of multi-modal experience in our industry over the past three decades will bring significant added value to our leadership team in North America,” David Scorey said. “I’m thrilled to welcome him to our team not only due to his industry expertise, but also because of his commitment to superior customer relationships and engaging employee experiences.”

“During my interactions with Keolis, I’ve always been impressed with their commitment to supporting their employees and providing personalized attention to their clients,” Brad Thomas said. “The strong alignment between my personal values and their organizational culture makes this a great match. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to build on their successes.”