Krauthamer & Associates Lands CEO for Capital Metro

Krauthamer & Associates CEO Randy Clarke Capital Metro

January 31, 2018 – Executive search firm Krauthamer & Associates has placed Randy Clarke as the general manager and president/CEO of Capital Metro in Austin. He replaces Linda Watson, who retired at the end of last year after seven years in the job. Mr. Clarke start his new role in March.

Mr. Clarke, who has a five year contract, will receive a base salary of $285,000, according to the Austin American-Statesman. He will also receive $25,000 a year in deferred compensation. Mr. Clarke will be eligible for an annual bonus of up to 10 percent, said the newspaper.

Elaine Timbes, Ms. Watson’s deputy, is serving as the agency’s interim leader.

Capital Metro went through a rigorous search process to ensure the agency found the best possible leader to take it forward. The transit agency took public feedback regarding the search at multiple board meetings since its July announcement, including a special meeting on Sept 14.

In November, board members met with a small number of candidates before narrowing the slate to four finalists. A public meeting with the final candidates was held on Jan. 8. During the past week, Capital Metro has gathered feedback on the  candidates through social media and by email.

“The board broadly speaking was excited about Randy’s experience at the transit authority in Boston, a very large complicated agency, very vibrant,” said Capital Metro board chairman Wade Cooper. “He had tremendous operational, capital project experience there and he went to APTA where he has the chance to know transit professionals from all over the country, possibly all over the world, and really has a good grasp on what’s going on in the industry, the best practices.”

Mr. Cooper told Community Impact Newspaper that Mr. Clarke will bring a lot of energy to the role and could also aid the agency in moving its rail operations forward because of his experience working with federal transit authorities. Capital Metro is in the midst of expanding its MetroRail line with double tracking and building a permanent and larger downtown station to increase frequency.

Proven Leader

Mr. Clarke has served as vice president of operations and member services at the American Public Transportation Association since 2016. Prior to that, he spent seven years in various positions with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in Boston, including deputy chief operating officer and assistant general manager of engineering, maintenance and preparedness, and senior director of security.

While at the MBTA, Mr. Clarke was a key member of the senior leadership team, which provides 1.2 million trips daily. He was featured in Mass Transit magazine’s 2011 “Top 40 under 40” list, which highlights leaders in the transit industry nationwide.

Capital Metro is the Texas state capital’s regional public transportation provider. Established in 1985, it has more than 30 million boardings every year.

Veteran Recruiters

Krauthamer & Associates serves a wide range of industries, including: aviation, consumer products, healthcare, industrial, natural resources, professional services, public sector & non-profit, real estate, technology and transportation.

Gary Krauthamer, who founded the firm in 1971, has completed more than 1,000 search assignments throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Over the last 30 years, he has worked extensively within and across the public and private sectors. His clients can be found in the aerospace industry, federal government, entrepreneurial organizations, middle-market entities and large multinational Fortune 100 corporations.

Transportation Companies Turning to Search Firms

Over the past several months, a growing number of transportation companies have enlisted executive search firms to help them find senior talent. Here are some recent examples from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:

Heidrick & Struggles placed Mark Thurston as CEO of High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd., the company behind the U.K.’s planned £55 billion high-speed rail network. His appointment came after a five-month global search led by Heidrick, which reviewed some 20 potential candidates working on projects in America, Australia and Asia, as well as in the U.K.

TillmanCarlson recruited Scott Cousins as chief information officer of Roadrunner Transportation Systems. Founder Rob Tillman and managing director Kelly Carlson led the assignment. Roadrunner Transportation is an asset-light transportation and supply chain solutions provider offering a full suite of services.

Aviation Search Group placed Steven McNeeley as safety and security executive officer at AirMed International, LLC. Executive recruiter and client manager Jaime Truxal led the search. AirMed is one of the leading air medical transport companies in the world, with more than 20,000 missions completed in all 50 states and over 150 countries on six continents.

Spencer Stuart tapped Iftikhar Ahmad to lead T.F. Green Airport and serve as president and chief executive officer of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC). The position attracted high levels of interest with more than 100 candidates applying for the job, said RIAC Patti Goldstein, senior vice president of marketing and communications.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Will Schatz, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

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