Veolia Transportation Inc. announced that Ken Westbrook has been promoted to chief operating officer (COO) of its Transit Division. Previously, he was senior vice president, Eastern Region for the same division. In his new role, Westbrook will work with CEO Mark Joseph to continue Veolia Transportation's growth as the largest private-sector operator of multiple modes of transit in the United States.

As COO, Westbrook will lead the company's transit operations for its bus, paratransit, brokerage and bus rapid transit (BRT) contracts with transit authorities. This includes 120 locations and contracts in leading cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle, Baltimore, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and others. He will be responsible for the work of over 17,000 employees organized into seven regions.

Westbrook will lead the teams responsible for continuing to enhance the Transit Division's operational and financial performance, including safety, maintenance, customer service, technology, budgets, planning and staff development. He also will be responsible for the company's compliance with contract terms, as well as contract renewals and business growth.

"Ken brings a powerful combination of operational experience, strong customer relationships and a proven record of successful leadership to his new role at Veolia Transportation," said Joseph. "The experience he has gained in managing a diverse array of transit operations and his high-energy, people-oriented style will enable him to make a major positive impact in this new role."

Westbrook has had a distinguished career in transit operations. Early in his career, he was general manager for Jackson, Miss., and Pensacola, Fla., transit operations as part of ATC, a well-known private-sector operator of transit contracts. In 1999, he was promoted to regional vice president of the South/Central Region for ATC, and in 2007, to senior vice president of Veolia Transportation for the Eastern Region of the United States. Veolia Transportation acquired ATC in 2005.