VIA HFR
Michael Keenan and Marie-France Poulin have been appointed to the Board of Directors of VIA HFR, which will work with a private partner to design and develop Canada’s High Frequency Rail (HFR) project. HFR is described as a proposed investment to deliver “faster, more frequent, and more reliable rail service that connects major cities across the Toronto – Quebec City corridor.” Three consortiums have advanced to the RFP (Request for Proposals) stage of the project—Cadence, Intercity Rail Developers, and QConnexiON Rail Partners. Their proposals are due this summer and the government of Canada is expected to announce its selection by the end of 2024.
“Ms. Poulin’s and Mr. Keenan’s combined experience and strategic expertise in economic development, governance, public policy, and risk management will be instrumental in steering the project toward success,” VIA HFR said during the July 8 announcement. “Their insights, particularly drawn from Mr. Keenan’s extensive work on transportation policy and Indigenous consultation, and Ms. Poulin’s leadership in corporate governance and sustainable business practices, will be particularly valuable in ensuring the HFR project aligns with best practices in sustainable development and community engagement.”
Keenan joins the Board after a public-service career that culminated in seven years as Deputy Minister of Transport in Canada. He holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Francis Xavier University and a Master of Economics from Queen’s University. Poulin, Vice President of Groupe Camada and co-founder of Kalia, is a business leader and entrepreneur who served various companies and on boards of directors, including Hydro-Québec and Laurentian Bank. She is a graduate of Université Laval with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a certification from the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés.
“VIA HFR’s Board has strategically strengthened its skill set with Mr. Keenan’s and Ms. Poulin’s appointments at a critical time for the Corporation,” said Martin Imbleau, who last fall became President and CEO of VIA HFR. “Their credentials will play a key role in supporting and moving the HFR project forward to transform Canadian rail service.”
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R&RS
Third-party logistics provider R&RS has named Tim Kizer as Vice President of Supply Chain Solutions. He is slated to “seek opportunities to leverage existing service lines with new industrial customers, develop business in new and existing industrial markets, identify projects that create supply chain improvements for industrial customers, lead project discovery and development, evaluate potential new business opportunities for alignment with strategic objectives, and more.”
Kizer was most recently Executive Vice President at Louisville Riverport Authority and The LRA Railroad. His background also includes service as President of Beige Dolorosa, LLC (formerly Sundog, Inc.); Senior Director of New Business Solutions and Senior Director of Operations for Watco Supply Chain Services; and Partner and CEO of AgEnergy Solutions & Green Products Group. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville and is a veteran of the United States Army and the Army Reserves.
R&RS, established in 1987, works with railroads, rail shippers, and rail equipment owners; it has operations at 73 sites across 17 states.
NRC
Rachel Maguire on July 1 became Finance Director of NRC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Britain’s Network Rail that has subsidiaries in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and the U.K. The company is said to provide a “full range of rail expertise available within Network Rail, including advisory services; strategic planning; major projects, including systems integration and project and program management; railways operations, including timetabling and operational modeling; and asset management and maintenance.”
Maguire succeeds Andrew Noble, who will formally retire on July 31.
Maguire most recently served Linxon, an AtkinsRéalis and Hitachi Energy company, as Europe Regional Controller. As part of the leadership team, her role contributed to the growth and strategic development of the business, P&L performance through project delivery, and management of the finance function based across the U.K., Switzerland, Germany, and India. Throughout her career in the U.K. and internationally with Atkins, Maguire has supported professional services (design and project management), consultancy, and engineering projects in the energy, transportation, and environment sectors.
“Firstly, I would like to thank Andrew Noble for his contribution to the business over the last six years and wish him a happy retirement,” said Nigel Ash, Global Managing Director for NRC. “I am also very pleased that we have attracted someone of Rachel’s caliber and experience to replace Andrew. I am confident Rachel will add significant value to the business over the coming years.”
“I am very excited to be joining the global leadership team at Network Rail Consulting in support of the rail professionals who bring value to our clients through their expertise and commitment to project delivery,” Rachel Maguire said. “I look forward to building great business relationships, making a real impact within the organization, and collaborating with the regional leadership teams to achieve our financial strategic goals.”
HNTB
As Project Director in HNTB’s Los Angeles office, Grace Tell is responsible for business development focusing on the infrastructure needs of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), California High-Speed Rail Authority, and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).
Tell has more than 25 years of experience in highway and tolling facility program/project management, planning, design, and construction. Most recently, she supported efforts for finalizing and implementing Caltrans’ managed lanes policy and administered the agency’s first toll lane project on Interstate 5. Tell received a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from California State University Long Beach. She is a registered professional engineer in the state of California.
“Grace has significant experience working with Caltrans on a wide range of projects,” said Yoga Chandran, HNTB Los Angeles Office Leader and Senior Vice President. “She is exceptionally well positioned to support HNTB in large scale infrastructure pursuits in this region.”
“We welcome and appreciate her extensive expertise with federal, state, and local governmental agencies and stakeholders, including Metro, Orange County Transportation Authority and Transportation Corridor Agencies to undertake regional transportation projects,” said Shahram Vahdat, HNTB Vice President and Group Director, Engineering.
Separately, HNTB recently named Eloy Martinez as Project Director for Fleet Engineering, Project Management and Advisory Services, and Greg Lorenzi as Rail Program Manager.
