A more compassionate, efficient and sustainable STM

The STM provides one million bus and métro trips per day, all the while efficiently managing public funds through optimization, undertaking a major transition to electrify the bus network and developing the Blue line extension project. It must also stay on course to meet the sustainable mobility needs of Montréal and play a key role in the fight against climate change.
Marie-Claude Léonard, Chief Executive Officer of the STM, is embarking on a new cycle to make the STM even more compassionate, efficient and sustainable. After more than 30 years of experience at the STM, she has acquired in-depth operational expertise. She has a clear, transparent and passionate vision of the company, the power of its human capital and its ambition to be a leader in sustainable mobility.
 

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Biography

Marie-Claude Léonard

Marie-Claude Léonard has been Chief Executive Officer of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) since July 2022, after serving in this capacity on an interim basis for four months. She has been a member of the executive committee since 2016 and was previously Executive Director of Bus and Métro Operations.

Ms. Léonard has been working at the STM for over thirty years. Having begun her career as an STM agent when she was a student, she quickly rose through the ranks of the organization, holding various management positions over the past 20 years, particularly in Métro Operations.

Ms. Léonard is a true enthusiast, and her many achievements include the integration of the Azur trains. She understands the reality of operations and puts customers first, while building on the expertise and well-being of her employees to ensure continuation of service. She has developed the roles of ticket agents and inspectors in the métro network to promote quality service for the benefit of customers.

During the pandemic, Ms. Léonard also led the STM’s Emergency Response Team, which supported the organization in managing and coordinating its emergency response measures so that it could speed up the implementation of on-the-ground solutions.

Ms. Léonard is involved at the international level and was appointed in 2022 to the policy board of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) after having served for several years on the Operations sub-committee of the UITP’s Metro Division. Since 2016, she has been a member of the Nova benchmarking group, which brings together the world’s leading metro networks, at Imperial College London. She is also a member of the Canadian Urban Transit Association and of the Association du transport urbain du Québec.

Ms. Léonard holds a bachelor’s degree in medical biology and a graduate diploma in management from HEC Montréal. She also completed the executive training program at CIREM-HEC (Centre International de Recherches et d’Études en Management – École des Hautes Études Commerciales).
Biography 2023