Management

Patrick Jeantet out as Keolis Group executive chairman

June 3, 2020

Jeantet, the former CEO of France’s SNCF, was in his role at Keolis for only four months.

Patrick Jeantet has been removed from his role as executive chairman of Keolis Group following an exceptional meeting between Keolis’ two shareholders, SNCF and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, and the company’s supervisory board.

Keolis cited “significant strategic differences” for Jeantet’s dismissal from a role he was appointed to in November 2019 and formally took on in February 2020. Jeantet previously worked for Keolis from 2005-2013 before being named as CEO of SNCF Réseau, and deputy chairman of the SNCF Executive Board in 2016.

Until a permanent replacement for Jeantet can be found, a specially appointed executive board will manage Keolis. Group Executive Director Finance and Legal Kathleen Wantz-O’Rourke will serve as the interim chairperson; a role she has held previously during the transition period before Jeantet began in February.

In addition to Wantz-O’Rourke, the members of the executive committee include Group Executive Director France and CEO Effia Frédéric Baverez, Group Executive Director Human Resources and Organization Bruno Danet and Group Executive Director International Bernard Tabary.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.