The TTC board has voted to appoint Rick Leary as the transit agency`s permanent CEO. As the Star reported Monday, the hiring panel struck to find the next chief executive unanimously endorsed Leary about two weeks ago. The Boston native has been serving as acting CEO since December, after Andy Byford left to take a job as president of the New York City Transit Authority. Commissioners on the board voted to approve the hiring panel`s recommendation at a closed-door meeting at city hall Tuesday morning, and then confirmed the appointment unanimously when they reconvened in public in the afternoon. TTC employees in the room erupted into applause at the outcome of the vote.Speaking to reporters before the meeting, TTC Chair Josh Colle said he would wait until Leary had signed his new contract before explaining why the board felt he was the standout candidate. In an interview Monday, Colle, who was on the hiring panel, declined to discuss who was in line for the job, but described the appointment process as “really thorough.” “The committee unanimously put forward a name from a long list of international candidates, and I think everyone’s really comfortable and pleased with who we’re going to put forward,” Colle said. According to sources, while there were many initial applicants for the position, only Leary and one other candidate made the final round. The low Canadian dollar was believed to be a deterrent for some potential candidates from abroad.The TTC had planned to announce its new chief executive next week, after the board had voted and a contract with the appointee had been finalized. It’s not clear how much the new CEO will be paid, but Byford earned a salary of $346,791.51, excluding benefits, in his final year at the helm. According to sources, some members of the hiring committee felt Leary was best positioned to lead the agency in the coming years in part because its focus is shifting away from overseeing transit ...
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