THOMAS MULLIGAN AND GERALD FRANCIS TO LEAD KEOLIS COMMUTER SERVICES’ OPERATION OF MBTA COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM IN GREATER BOSTON
Mulligan and Francis bring decades of industry experience to North America’s largest commuter rail contract
ROCKVILLE, MD – July 8, 2014 – Keolis North America has named Thomas M. Mulligan as General Manager and Gerald C. Francis as Deputy General Manager of Keolis Commuter Services in Boston, overseeing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s commuter rail contract, which Keolis began operating on July 1.
The two industry veterans bring decades of railroad and customer service experience to Greater Boston where Keolis manages what is the sixth busiest commuter rail system in the nation.
“For more than a 100 years, Keolis has successfully managed transportation systems throughout the world with a laser focus on meeting and exceeding the expectations of our passengers,” said Eric Asselin, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Keolis North America. “Tom Mulligan and Gerald Francis are two of the most experienced and capable executives in our industry, and under their leadership I am confident that Keolis will make a great system even better, providing Greater Boston with the outstanding commuter rail service that this region so richly deserves.”
Tom Mulligan began his rail career at Union Pacific where he spent nearly 40 years in leadership roles, serving for a decade as Director of Passenger Rail Operations. Later he became Amtrak’s Operations Officer and Director of Passenger Train Operations, leaving the rail industry after being elected to the Omaha City Council in April of 2010. He is the recipient of the 2010 Railway Age’s W. Graham Claytor, Jr. Award for Distinguished Service to Passenger Transportation.
Gerald Francis has served in executive leadership positions for major transit systems throughout his career, which also began at Union Pacific. He comes to Keolis from TASI – Caltrain, where he served as General Manager for Herzog Transit Services. Prior to that, he served as Deputy General Manager for the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority in Washington, DC, managing a $1.1 billion operating budget. Francis joined Keolis in January 2014 as deputy general manager, and led the Keolis mobilization effort in an acting capacity.
“During the search for the new GM, Gerald played a critical role in leading the mobilization effort to ensure a seamless transition on July 1. We look forward to his continued leadership as deputy general manager as we deliver a service that provides passengers with a commuter rail experience that is second to none in the world,” Asselin said. “On behalf of the entire Keolis team, I want to salute Gerald for his exceptional leadership during this transition period and express my personal appreciation for all that he has done to ensure a successful launch. I also want to welcome Tom, whose wealth of experience will be an enormous asset to the team during the start-up phase of the operation and beyond.”
About Keolis North America
In North America, Keolis is a leading provider of passenger transportation services throughout the U.S. and Canada, carrying nearly 50 million people via train, bus and taxi each year through public contracts in California, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, Quebec, and Virginia. Headquartered in Rockville, MD, Keolis North America has nearly 5,000 employees. It is part of Keolis SA, which has 57,000 employees and transports 2.5 billion passengers in 15 countries worldwide.
For Further Information Contact:
Leslie Aun
Director of Communications
Keolis North America
leslie.aun@keolis.com
(703) 517-4550
