The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Metro-North Railroad named three veterans of the railroad industry to top leadership positions.

The railroad’s new President, Joseph Giulietti, announced the appointment of Glen Hayden as VP, engineering; Michael J. Yaeger as chief mechanical officer; and Kevin J. O’Connor as chief transportation officer.

“I am confident that this highly experienced team will provide the leadership that Metro-North needs to refocus all its attention on safety, reliability and customer service and in the process rebuild its reputation for excellence,” Giulietti said.

Hayden will lead Metro-North’s Maintenance of Way Department, which is responsible for the integrity of the track and associated structures, and will report directly to the president.

During the last 16 years, Hayden worked for Parsons Brinkerhoff, where he was responsible for planning and/or project management for a number of large, complex and critical transportation projects throughout the northeast. He spent much of his early career at Metro-North and its predecessor railroads, rising to the position of chief engineer.

Yaeger and O’Connor will report to Metro-North sr. VP, operations, John Kesich.

Yaeger will be responsible for maintenance of the railroad’s fleet of railcars and work trains. He has spent 27 years at Metro-North in the maintenance of equipment department – both in the areas of project planning and in maintenance operations.

Meanwhile, O’Connor will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of trains. He succeeds asst. VP John McNulty, who is retiring this summer after 40 years at Metro-North.

During his 36-year career in railroading, O’Connor rose through the ranks, starting at Amtrak where he began his career first as a service attendant, block operator and train dispatcher, then in progressively responsible positions in operations management for Amtrak and New Jersey Transit, where he most recently served as VP/GM, rail operations.