People News: Keolis, Hotstart, Actelis, REMPREX, Wilson Elser
Keolis
John Killeen is the new CEO of KCS, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Commuter Rail operations and maintenance partner, following roughly eight years of service as KCS Vice President of Asset Management. Killeen was selected in consultation with Keolis Group, Keolis North America (KNA) and MBTA and will formally take over the role on Sept. 1, after a brief transition period with support from current KCS CEO Abdellah Chajai. Chajai in June was appointed to the Global Keolis Executive Committee and promoted to a new role as Executive Director of Marketing, Innovation, Sustainable Development and Engagement for Keolis Group worldwide.
KCS has operated and maintained MBTA’s commuter rail system, the sixth largest commuter rail operation in North America, for more than ten years. It is a subsidiary of KNA, both headquartered in Boston, and employs approximately 2,500 people throughout the region. KCS and KNA are part of Keolis Group.
Killeen has more than 20 years’ experience managing the maintenance of rolling stock and rail infrastructure, and led the procurement and introduction of new rolling stock at two major railways, Go-Via Thameslink Railway and Southern Railway in the United Kingdom. He is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with a Master of Science in railway systems engineering.
“I am happy to see John assume this leadership role with the Keolis Commuter Services team,” KNA CEO Brad Thomas said. “His nearly 30-year career in the rail industry combined with a strong commitment to our employees and the MBTA have been a driving force in delivering safe and reliable service for our passengers. John’s dedication and expertise will be essential as Keolis continues to improve service for the greater Boston community.”
“This is an exciting time for MBTA Commuter Rail and Keolis Commuter Services remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering safe and reliable service for our passengers,” John Killeen said. “I look forward to continuing to work closely with our partners at the MBTA and with our entire workforce to serve the people and communities across the Commuter Rail network who depend on our service every day.”
Further Reading:
Hotstart
Santanu (Sean) Debnath is taking on the role of Chief Revenue Officer at Spokane, Wash.-based Hotstart, a supplier of engine heating solutions for industrial engines and equipment. With nearly 30 years of industrial manufacturing experience, he began his career as a hands-on scientist before transitioning to the commercial side of business. Debnath has held President, CRO, CCO, VP, and Director level positions in sales and marketing at Selecor, Intellihot, Viega, Kaydon Corporation, Rexnord, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
“Sean’s depth of experience, leadership and values make him a great fit for Hotstart,” said Terry Judge, CEO of the company, which has sold more than one million electric resistance heaters to standby generator OEMs including Caterpillar, Cummins, Kohler, Generac, and MTU. “We’re excited to have him join our team as we serve our customers in mission-critical markets like data centers.”
Further Reading:
Actelis
Mark DeVol on Aug. 27 will become Chief Revenue Officer Americas at Fremont, Calif.-based Actelis, which is said to provide cyber-hardened, rapid deployment networking solutions for IoT and broadband applications to the government, ITS, military, utility, rail, telecom, and campus sectors.
Currently serving as Vice President of Federal Sales for Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions, DeVol has helped organizations deploy advanced networking technologies including 4G LTE, 5G, IoT, and cyber-secure solutions. His 30-plus-year career spans leadership roles at Ericsson/Ericsson Federal, Nokia, Verizon Wireless, Oceus Networks, MCI WorldCom, and Marconi Communications. DeVol’s military background includes nearly ten years of service in the U.S. Navy supporting Information Systems.
“Mark’s appointment as CRO Americas represents a pivotal step in our commercialization acceleration strategy,” said Tuvia Barlev, Chairman and CEO of Actelis. “His deep relationships across federal, military, and local government markets, combined with his proven ability to build teams and scale revenue growth, directly aligns with our strategic priorities. Mark’s expertise in deploying secure, mission-critical networking solutions will be instrumental as we capitalize on the significant opportunities in our target markets, particularly as military and federal agencies prioritize rapid, cyber-safe infrastructure modernization. His leadership will be essential as we execute our 2025 growth strategy and beyond. Combined with our recent technological advances including MetaShield AI-powered cybersecurity and our expanding global partner network, Mark’s appointment positions Actelis to capture significant market share in the Americas.”
“I’m excited to join Actelis at this critical growth phase,” Mark DeVol noted. “Having worked extensively with federal, military, and telecommunications customers throughout my career and having led my team at Ericsson to achieve double-digit growth year-over-year and more than 350% growth in overall billings, I recognize both the urgent need and the extensive opportunity for solutions like those Actelis offers. The company’s unique ability to deliver immediate fiber-grade connectivity over existing infrastructure, combined with DoD-certified security, addresses the core challenges these customers face in modernizing their networks quickly and cost-effectively. I look forward to working with the team to accelerate our market capture across the Americas.”
Further Reading:
REMPREX, Inc.
Lisle, Ill.-based REMPREX, Inc. has selected Gary Long as President and CEO. He brings more than 30 years of experience in rail to the company, which is described as “a comprehensive solutions provider for transportation terminals across North America.”
Long served previously as CEO, Rail Investments, FTAI Infrastructure, and is an Executive Advisor and Board Member at Cathcart Rail. His career also includes senior leadership roles at Genesee & Wyoming, OmniTRAX, and Norfolk Southern.
Further Reading:
Wilson Elser
National law firm Wilson Elser has hired Thomas (Ted) Dunlap, formerly with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) and the National Transportation Safety Board NTSB), as the Of Counsel based in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. He will help lead emergency response support for one of the firm’s transportation clients and provide high-level crisis management and emergency response consultation for clients in several key practices, including Transportation, Aviation & Aerospace, Admiralty & Marine, and Product Liability, Prevention & Government Compliance, according to Wilson Elser.
At the NTSB, Dunlap was Senior Advisor to Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg, and later served under current Chair Jennifer Homendy. He advised Board members on agency business, including the review, analysis, and approval of investigative products such as reports, safety alerts, and recommendations, as well as agency policy and reports to Congress in matters involving aviation, maritime, pipeline, railroads, and trucking. After his appointment at the NTSB, Dunlap worked at the FMSCA, where he served as Team Lead of the Passenger Carrier Division.
Dunlap has also served as General Counsel and Director of Client Relations and Development at an engineering firm that consulted on transportation-related matters. Earlier in his career, he was a litigator in private practice, concentrating on civil litigation, transportation, and insurance coverage matters.
Dunlap received a J.D. degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law and a B.A. degree from East Carolina University.
“This is good news for our clients across several of Wilson Elser’s practice areas,” said David Goldhaber, Co-chair of the firm’s national Transportation Practice. “As an authority on transportation regulation, and safety, with significant experience in all aspects of NTSB investigations, Ted will be a great resource on litigation, regulatory, and counseling matters for the firm, and key to helping clients achieve better outcomes in dealings related to federal investigations.”
“Joining Wilson Elser is a tremendous opportunity,” Thomas Dunlap said. “Having worked for the government on transportation-related investigations, this is a refreshing chance to advise and engage clients once more on these kinds of issues.”
