Keolis Names Thomas President/COO US Transit Business

Brad Thomas will take up the role of president and COO for Keolis North America’s US Transit business, beginning April 1.

Based out of the Boston headquarters reporting to the North America CEO and sitting on the Executive Committee, Thomas brings knowledge of both the industry and Keolis’ multimodal operations to the organization.

Key to Keolis North America’s Growth

In the past four months, Keolis North America’s transit business has doubled in size with the addition of new contracts in Austin, Texas and Phoenix.

The growth is largely due to strong client relationships, exceptional operational performance, and significant focus on the employee experience.

“Brad’s depth of multimodal experience in our industry over the past three decades will bring significant added value to our leadership team in North America,” said David Scorey, Keolis North America CEO. “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.”

Thomas’s Wealth of Experience

Since 2009, Thomas served as the president and CEO of First Transit and First Vehicle Services. In the last two years he successfully led the organization through two transactions, first to a private equity firm and most recently to Transdev.

During his tenure, First Transit was one of the largest passenger transportation contractors in North America, with operations throughout the continental US, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Canada, Panama, and India.

Under Thomas’s 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. He also served as the chair of the board for the North American Transit Alliance from 2020 to 2023 and currently sits on the board of the National Safety Council.

“During my interactions with Keolis I’ve always been impressed with their commitment to supporting their employees and providing personalized attention to their clients,” said Thomas. “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.”