TTC board to recommend next CEO in July after months-long search

The TTC's board will recommend a new CEO at its July meeting following a months-long search, CBC Toronto has learned.

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The search began last year after former TTC CEO Andy Byford announced he was leaving the role to become president of the New York City Transit Authority in January 2018. A highly public face for the agency, Byford leaves a legacy of customer satisfaction efforts and increased rush-hour subway service.

Byford's replacement will encounter a myriad of challenges, but board chair Josh Colle believes the top pick is up to the task. 

"We've had a pretty extensive process, and a thorough one," Colle said. "We've had candidates from around the world."

Currently, the TTC's interim CEO is Rick Leary, but it's not clear whether he or one of hundreds of external applicants will land the permanent role, which has an expected salary of up to roughly $350,000. 

'Daunting' challenges face next CEO

Whoever it is, the next chief executive is entering a rapidly changing political environment. That includes the possibility of Premier Doug Ford's new provincial government taking control of the TTC's subway infrastructure while leaving Toronto responsible for day-to-day operations — a promise Ford made on the campaign trail.

The successful candidate will have to be "adept" at navigating that kind of climate, said transit expert Steve Munro. "Applying for the position of CEO of a company that might be about to lose half of its operation is a bit daunting."

• Province to take control of TTC subway infrastructure under PCs, Ford says

Kevin Morton, secretary-treasurer of Local 113, said "political infighting" is a constant challenge.

"The problem with transit is the governments," he said, citing the ongoing issues with PRESTO card readers and the resulting fare evasion as one instance of a politically-driven "disaster."

There's also the day-to-day issues facing an incoming CEO, Munro added, including certain overstressed routes.

"You can't just materialize more service tomorrow," he said. "So how do you do it quickly?"

Major transit projects are also in the works, including ongoing fleet modernization, the controversial one-stop Scarborough subway extension, and the long-awaited downtown relief line, which is projected to be up and running by 2031.

Shelagh Pizey-Allen, executive director of transit advocacy group TTC Riders, is hoping to see service improvements alongside the system's expansion in the years ahead.

But how much a new leader can contribute to that, she's not sure.

"We'd like the CEO to advocate for riders, but at the end of the day, it's elected officials and TTC board members who have the ultimate say in terms of what resources get allocated to the TTC," she said.