TTC CEO Rick Leary has announced that he will be stepping down from his position at the end of the summer.
During a news conference on Thursday afternoon, the head of the transit agency confirmed that he tendered his resignation this morning and it was approved by the board at today’s meeting.
He said his resignation is effective Aug. 30.
“I was recognized for 10 years of service here at the TTC last month. I can tell you what an incredible 10 years it has been. I’d go as far as saying that this has been the most rewarding experience in my four decades in public transit,” Leary said.
“But for many people, a decade in any job also brings with it some self-reflection when it comes to personal and professional goals and objectives. This year I turned 61 years old and believe there are some new opportunities and challenges awaiting me. I’m not going to fully retire.”
Leary said before he left his post, he wanted to ensure that he saw the TTC through the recent labour negotiations with Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 113, the union representing more than 11,000 frontline TTC workers.
“Some will ask about the timing of this announcement and I’m going to say that’s fair. For me it was about seeing that one last major undertaking over the finish line, and that was the new collective agreement with the ATU 113, out largest union partner,” he said.
“I believe it was my duty and obligation to ensure that a new agreement was in place before I stepped down. And if we had not reached an agreement, I needed to be here to steer the organization through a labour disruption but thankfully that did not happen.”