FROM THE CEO: Organizational Update

Over the past several months, you have seen a steady pace of organizational change. Since becoming Chief Executive Officer, I have spent considerable time listening, engaging, and learning by speaking with customers, employees, and stakeholders, carefully examining how we work, and drawing on the best practices of leading transit systems around the world.

I want to begin by thanking you. Your professionalism, care for one another, and commitment to serving our city have remained strong as we continue this work together.

What is clear is that we must continue to evolve as an organization to strengthen the TTC for the long term and to deliver the highest possible standards of performance, reliability, and financial stewardship.

To meet that expectation, I am aligning the organization to break down silos, sharpen accountability, and enable faster, clearer decision-making, empowering leaders to make the right decisions, take ownership, and do so transparently within a strong control framework. This work is about operating as One TTC, customer-focused, resilient, and accountable. Your expertise and daily commitment are essential to this effort, and these changes are designed to better support you in delivering the service our city depends on.

Today, I am sharing updates to the organizational structure for our Transportation, Vehicles, and Infrastructure teams. All three groups will report to the Chief Operations Officer, reinforcing clear accountability across service planning, operations, maintenance, and capital delivery.

I am also sharing changes to how we organize our Marketing, Communications, and Customer Experience functions, strengthening how we connect with customers and support their experience across the system.

Transportation
​Effective April 13, there will be a focused Transportation Group under a new Chief Transportation Officer, Tamu Thomas. Service Planning and Scheduling will move into this group to better align this critical function with day-to-day operations. Bus, Streetcar, LRT and Subway Transportation, Wheel-Trans, and Transportation Strategy and Support will also be part of the new Transportation Group.

With Tamu’s promotion, Deborah Lyon will serve as Acting Executive Director of Transportation.

Vehicles
​Effective March 30, Rich Wong will become Chief Vehicles Officer, with oversight of Bus Maintenance and Shops, Rail Cars and Shops, and Streetcar Maintenance. Given Rich’s deep operational expertise, strong analytical capability, and understanding of how Transit Control supports daily service delivery, I have also asked him to oversee Transit Control and Stations on an interim basis to strengthen co-ordination between vehicle readiness and real-time service delivery, and to deliver a new, long-term strategic plan grounded in performance excellence.

Infrastructure
​The Infrastructure Group, led by interim Chief Infrastructure Officer Haroon Nuri, will continue to oversee Capital Project Delivery, Operational Safety and Planning, Plant Maintenance, Signals, Electrical and Communications, Streetcar Infrastructure, and Track and Structures.

Communications, Marketing, and Customer Experience
​Effective immediately, I am establishing a new Communications, Marketing, and Customer Experience organization reporting to the Chief Strategy and Customer Experience Officer.

Transforming the customer experience requires clear communication, strong design, and consistent and responsive customer service. To strengthen this work, an Executive Director of Communications will oversee a newly formed Communications and Marketing group, ensuring greater alignment across how we communicate, present ourselves, and support customers. Community and Stakeholder Relations will also report to this role, strengthening co-ordination between community engagement, public communications, and customer priorities.

Design and Wayfinding, Digital Customer Experience, and Customer Service will be brought together into a new Customer Experience group, creating a more integrated approach to how customers navigate, understand, and experience the TTC.

To support this transition, Adrian Grundy will act as Executive Director of Communications, Hayley Waldman will act as Head of Communications and Marketing, and Laura Lehming will act as Director of Customer Experience until permanent appointments are made.

What this means for you
​The pace of change reflects the scale of the transformation required. These decisions are the result of careful analysis, wide consultation, and a clear resolve to position the TTC as a world-class transit system for our customers.

My commitment is to move forward with purpose, to communicate clearly, to continue listening, and to support you through these changes.

This structure is designed to clarify accountability, strengthen how we plan and deliver service, and create more seamless connections between planning, operations, maintenance, and infrastructure. Ultimately, these changes are about supporting you by removing barriers, improving co-ordination, and creating opportunities for strong leadership at every level.

In the coming days, leaders will share more information about reporting relationships, transition steps, and where to direct questions. Please speak with your Supervisor if you need clarity.

Thank you for everything you do, every shift and every day, to keep Toronto moving. I am confident that together we will continue building a TTC that operates as One TTC and delivers the service excellence our city deserves.

With gratitude and resolve,

Mandeep S. Lali
​Chief Executive Officer
​March 25, 2026