CN
Breanne Oliver rejoins the freight rail industry as AVP, Communications and Public Affairs for CN. “With a background in strategic communications and a passion for building strong connections, Breanne will play a key role in shaping our communications and stakeholder relations efforts,” the Canadian Class I reported via LinkedIn on Sept. 9.
Oliver worked for Inter Pipeline, an energy infrastructure business, since 2015. She started as Manager, Corporate Communications and moved into the Human Resources department in 2021, serving most recently as Vice President People and Stakeholder Relations. Previously, Oliver worked for Canadian Pacific (which merged with Kansas City Southern in 2023 to form CPKC) in Corporate Communications. She was Director Public Affairs and Strategic Communications for the railroad prior to joining Inter Pipeline.
Separately, CN recently took delivery of the first SD75ACC locomotives and they are now in service.
TTC
Gregory W. Percy on Sept. 9 became interim CEO at TTC. Bruce Macgregor, TTC Deputy CEO, had held the interim position since Aug. 30, when Rick Leary stepped down after six and a half years leading the Ontario, Canada, agency that has grown since 1921 to carry more than 31 billion riders through a network of subways, streetcars, buses and Wheel-Trans vehicles.
“Greg brings a wealth of experience to transit with a distinguished career that includes executive roles as the President of GO Transit and Chief Operating Officer for Metrolinx,” TTC Chair Jamaal Myers said in a Sept. 6 statement announcing Percy’s appointment. “He recently retired from CAD Railway, where he led the bid submission and contract negotiations for the fleet maintenance subcontract for Metrolinx’s ONCorr project.
“Greg has a strong reputation and is respected in the transit industry across Canada. He brings operations and capital experience at an executive leadership level, a deep understanding of transit in Toronto, and a network across the industry.
“For the past week, Bruce Macgregor has been acting CEO, he will be returning to his position of Deputy CEO on September 9. I want to take this opportunity to thank Bruce for his work over the past week.
“In the Interim CEO role, Greg will help guide the Commission while we continue our search for a permanent CEO.
“I look forward to working with Greg as he takes on this new role.”
STV
Professional services firm STV has tapped Mark Bienstock as Vice President and Senior Program Manager within its Transportation Northeast Operating Group. He will lead large rail and transit programs, oversee project budgets, and help foster client relationships for the New York and New Jersey transportation teams. STV said he will also “play a key role in promoting collaboration and partnerships between STV and small, minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBE).”
Bienstock has more than 30 years of experience in complex systems engineering and project management, focusing on public transportation and defense. His career journey began with radar defense systems for U.S. Air Force flight test operations before spending 32 years at the MTA in New York City. At New York City Transit, he was said to have managed $2 billion worth of complex technology systems projects and was responsible for ensuring large-scale initiatives such as signal system modernization and fiber-optic data networks met technical standards and user expectations. As a leader on MTA’s Construction and Development team, Bienstock mentored new project CEOs and led $3 billion in projects involving customer safety, electronic security, and power systems, according to STV.
Bienstock holds an MBA in finance from New York University, as well as a master’s in engineering and a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from The Cooper Union.
“I have worked closely with Mark for almost three decades and his breadth of knowledge, experience and creative thinking have made him a force in the industry,” said Rafael Ruffo, Vice President and Engineering Chief for the Transportation Northeast Group at STV. “We are delighted that he has joined STV and will bring his talents to the transportation projects we design and oversee for our clients.”
