To support the company's ongoing turnaround plan, Nico Buchholz has been named sr. VP, strategic initiatives, and Jim Vounassis has been named chief procurement officer.
Bombardier announced that, effective immediately, Nico Buchholz will assume a new role as sr. VP, strategic initiatives, and Jim Vounassis will assume the chief procurement officer responsibilities in addition to continuing to lead the company's operations transformation as Bombardier's chief transformation and procurement officer.
"Nico, who joined Bombardier in September 2015 and served as the company's chief procurement officer, has been instrumental in establishing a more centralized, focused, and efficient procurement organization," said Bombardier’s President/CEO Alain Bellemare. "As a result of his outstanding efforts, the company obtained significant cost savings, strengthened its relationship with suppliers, and is well positioned to continue to achieve the cost reductions necessary to support our turnaround plan."
"In his new position, Nico will work closely with me and Bombardier's leadership team to pursue key growth initiatives across both our rail and aerospace businesses," Bellemare continued. "Nico is ideally suited for this position given his strong leadership experience and deep industry knowledge and relationships in the aerospace and industrial sectors."
Going forward, Bombardier's global procurement activities will be led by Jim Vounassis. He joined Bombardier in June 2015, serving as the company's chief transformation officer with responsibility for transforming the company's operations, to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and support Bombardier's growth objectives.
"Jim's tremendous performance over the past 18 months, leading Bombardier`s operations transformation, has helped us set a strong foundation for growth and position the company to achieve its 2020 goals and deliver greater value to customers and shareholders," said Bellemare. "Expanding Jim's responsibilities to include global procurement is a natural evolution of our operations transformation as we focus on driving greater efficiencies across our extended value chain."
The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board recently met for a budget workshop, during which staff outlined the significant service reductions Caltrain could be forced to make without new external funding.
Funding for the purchase of the railcars comes from the nearly $220 million in additional capital dollars Gov. Josh Shapiro allocated in November 2025 to support urgent safety upgrades and infrastructure improvements.
With major events and increased travel expected across the state this summer, the Administration is focused on making sure people have a reliable, affordable alternative to driving so we can reduce congestion, support daily commuters, and keep Massachusetts moving.
The final seven-mile segment of the 2 Line includes new stations at Mercer Island and Judkins Park and connects to the 1 Line at the International District/Chinatown Station. The Link light rail system now spans 63 miles and includes 50 stations.
From March 29 through May 9, shuttle buses will replace train service between Bridgeport Station and Norristown Transit Center. Train service will operate as normal between Bridgeport Station and 69th Street Transit Center.
Nadine S. Lee, who has served as president/CEO since July 2021, said the decision comes after careful reflection on the agency’s progress and its path forward.
In this edition of Biz Briefs, we highlight the latest developments shaping the future of mobility — from manufacturers and technology providers to transit agencies and motorcoach service operators.