Ex-Brightline CFO joins Texas toll road concessionaire SH 130

SH Texas toll road operator SH 130 Concession Company has hired former Brightline Florida's chief financial officer Jeff Swiatek as CFO.

Texas toll road operator SH 130 Concession Company has tapped former Brightline chief financial officer Jeff Swiatek as CFO.

The hire comes as the company is talking with state lawmakers about investing in additional infrastructure in the road network surrounding SH 130 between Austin and San Antonio, said James Lovett, the company's vice president of public affairs. No new toll lanes or toll roads are being considered, Lovett said.

"On SH 130 we still have a good amount of capacity but it's the network around it that is experiencing a lot of fast growth," Lovett said. "There's nothing specific on the table, but we're having a lot of conversations with elected officials about what role we can play with the network." 

SH 130 Concession Company operates a 41-mile stretch of the southern section of SH 130 under a 50-year agreement with Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation owns the road. It's considered the fastest toll road in the country because of its 85 miles per hour speed limit.

"We're pleased to welcome Jeff at a time when we're identifying new ways our company can solve transportation challenges and facilitate development," CEO Ananth Prasad said in a statement. "Jeff's experience in infrastructure finance will be beneficial as we evaluate new opportunities to support the region's transportation network during this period of rapid growth."

Swiatek said he is "energized by the opportunity to facilitate economic growth and development in the region" and that he looks forward to working "in partnership with our colleagues at TxDOT to promote transportation innovation along the entire SH 130 corridor."

Swiatek will replace Adam Hesketh, who had overseen financial operations as a strategic advisor, according to the company.

SH 130 Concession in January 2025 brought on Prasad as CEO. Prasad was previously president of the Florida Transportation Builders' Association and head of the Florida Department of Transportation.

The road opened in October 2012 and for the first few years traffic and revenue ran substantially below forecasts. Under previous ownership led by Cintra, SH 130 Concession Company in 2016 filed Chapter 11 . The current owners, led by global investment firm Strategic Value Partners, LLC, took the road over in 2017 as the road emerged from bankruptcy.

Brightline in January announced a new leadership team for its Florida passenger line as it tries to boost ridership following rating downgrades and warnings of impending bond defaults. The Fortress-backed company hired Eurostar veteran Nicolas Petrovic as CEO of the Florida train and named Mauricio Anderson as CFO of Brightline Holdings and its subsidiaries other than Brightline West. Anderson replaced Swiatek, who was with Brightline for eight years before he left in January.