The New York Senate last week confirmed Jay Walder as the new chairman and chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Walder said at a hearing last week that once confirmed, he would settle his affairs in London where he currently resides and resign from McKinsey & Co. He is a partner at the firm specializing in large-scale capital investments and public-private partnerships. He expects to start his new job in October.
Prior to working at McKinsey, Walder was the managing director of finance and planning for Transport for London, the agency that operates the London mass transit system.
“As a world-renowned transportation expert, he has the knowledge and vision needed to move the MTA into the 21st century,” Gov. David Paterson said in a statement. “I am confident that Jay will shepherd the MTA into a new era — one that benefits all riders, whether in the Hudson Valley, the five boroughs, or on Long Island.”
Walder said last week that the MTA should look at expanding its bus system with dedicated traffic lanes and installing systems at subway stations to inform riders when the next train is arriving.
The position of chairman and CEO was combined as part of legislation passed in May to bail out the cash-strapped agency. Walder replaces current chairman H. Dale Hemmerdinger and former CEO and executive director Elliot Sander.
