TTC names Bruce Macgregor as acting CEO

Bruce Macgregor, the deputy CEO of the Toronto Transit Commission, has been tapped as the temporary chief of the city's public transit system.

During Wednesday's special meeting, the TTC board approved the appointment of Macgregor as acting CEO. He will assume the position after Rick Leary formally resigns on Friday.

"Bruce will help guide the TTC and keep our city moving while we finalize the appointment of the interim CEO, which I look forward to announcing in the coming weeks," TTC board chair Jamaal Myers said.

When asked why the board had to name an acting chief instead of directly hiring an interim CEO, Myers said, "There's going to be a gap between Rick's departure and the time the interim CEO actually starts."

He noted that the interim chief will be announced "in the coming weeks," indicating Sept. 17 as a possible start date.

"We just took time to interview candidates. When we were doing internal and external candidates, it just takes time. Its summer. People are on vacation. It takes time to track people down," Myers explained further on the delay in choosing an interim CEO.

Myers shared that the city hired a third party to help them pick an interim CEO and, eventually, a permanent replacement for Leary.

"Our search for the interim CEO is nearing completion, and we will continue our efforts to identify a permanent CEO in the coming months," Myers said in a separate written statement.

He cannot provide a firm timeline for when a permanent CEO will be picked but said the city is doing an "international search" which could take at least six months. In June, Leary announced he was resigning from his CEO role, a title he has held since 2018.

When asked if Macgregor is also in the running for the interim and permanent CEO positions, the councillor refused to answer, citing confidentiality reasons.

Macgregor joined the TTC in October 2023 after serving as the chief administrative officer of York Region for 16 years.

Myers described Macgregor as a "first-class professional."

"He is well respected within the organization," the councillor said" "I've heard this from multiple employees, and he's well respected by our union partners, which is also very, very important."