NYCT senior leadership reorganized with eye toward future service

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor

New York City Transit (NYCT) says it has reorganized its senior leadership to meet the challenges posed by steadily increasing ridership on the 110-year-old subway system, for the first time putting a single vice president in charge of integrating new technology, operating more efficiently and improving the customer experience.

 

Department of Subways veteran John Gaul has been tapped to become NYCT’s first vice president, 21st Century service delivery. Reporting directly to NYCT President Carmen Bianco, Gaul will head a team responsible for redefining customer service and communication, accelerating the development of technology within the system and developing innovative ways of expanding capacity.

“Moving more than six million customers is our daily challenge on the New York City subway system, but meeting their growing expectations requires long-term strategies for how to improve our service,” Bianco said. “John will bring a visionary approach to this task, looking far down the tracks to further develop the system so we can meet customers’ needs in the decades to come.”

Gaul, who has 39 years in the mass transit industry, most recently served in two vital leadership roles with NYCT – vice president and chief officer of service delivery, Department of Subways and the former head of Staten Island Railway.

Within the Department of Subways, two veteran managers with a combined 62 years of service have also been named to positions responsible for the day-to-day operation of the largest rapid transit system in North America.

Wynton Habersham has been named to succeed Gaul as vice president and chief officer for the Service Delivery Division. With more than 32 years with NYCT, Habersham has a diverse background with experience in transportation operations, signals and capital programs. His most recent assignment was vice president of maintenance of way, where he took a hands-on approach and was instrumental in preparing the division for an enterprise asset management system to identify and manage the physical assets that comprise the subway right-of-way. Under Habersham’s leadership, MOW experienced impressive reductions in fires and employee accidents.

Frank Jezycki, a 30-year NYCT veteran, has been named to succeed Habersham as vice president and chief officer for the Maintenance of Way Division. For the past 25 years, Jezycki has held positions of varying and increasing responsibility, including line general manager, chief enfrastructure officer and vice president and chief officer of the Staten Island Railway.

“I have filled these two vital positions with a pair of managers who demonstrate the perfect balance of experience and enthusiasm. This is especially important as we are facing a series of challenges driven by increasing ridership and the need to improve our infrastructure to meet the needs of our customers,” said Joe Leader, senior vice president, Department of Subways. The Division of Service Delivery is also being realigned to better reflect changes in how subway service is controlled, monitored and delivered to customers. The Rail Control Center now controls and monitors service on the numbered subway lines and tracks trains along a portion of the lettered lines, with additional control mechanisms being installed throughout the system.

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