People on the move: PANYNJ, UITP

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and the the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) have announced changes and appointments to their respective leadership teams. 

PANYNJ executive director to retire in January 2026 

Rick Cotton will retire as executive director of the PANYNJ in January 2026. He has served as the executive director of the PANYNJ since August 2017. The authority notes a successor is expected to be announced in due course and will work closely with Cotton to ensure a smooth transition.  

“From the moment Chairman O’Toole and I stepped into these roles in 2017, we shared a simple conviction: this region deserves world-class infrastructure equal to its people and its promise,” Cotton said. “Working in partnership across two states, political lines and every corner of this agency, we have made historic progress toward that goal. Together, we transformed our airports from appalling laughingstocks into award-winning, best-in-class gateways, and jumpstarted the Midtown Bus Terminal, which had languished for decades. The foundation is now set for future generations to keep building a stronger, more connected region.

"The opportunity to help transform our facilities and elevate the travel experience for hundreds of millions of people has been deeply satisfying. Since 2017, I have devoted all my energy to this profoundly important work. It has been enormously rewarding and exhausting, but nothing is forever. With the immense progress that we have made and the completion last week of our proposed new 10-year capital plan—which will fund the agency’s ambitious agenda through 2035—it is simply time to hand over the reins, and I will do so in January,” Cotton said.   

O’Toole thanked Cotton for his service to the authority, saying he set the authority up for success for years to come.  

“Rick has been the driving force behind the Port Authority’s resurgence as a high-performing, modern public agency,” O’Toole said. “He delivered once-in-a-generation projects that transformed critical transportation assets, strengthened the region's economy and enhanced connections across New York and New Jersey and his vision and discipline are embedded in the capital plan that will guide our next decade. Over 40 years in public service, I have never met a more dedicated, disciplined and focused executive. I am lucky to have forged a strong professional and personal relationship with Rick. We will miss Rick dearly, but his legacy and presence will be felt for many decades to come.” 

UITP names new president, deputy president 

UITP has named Gautier Brodeo as president and Lilli Matson as the new deputy president. 

Brodeo is the former director of the operation and maintenance development agency for RATP Group and has more than 25 years of experience in public transport. 

“I am truly honored to become the new president of UITP. The association is rich in activities and deliverables, and I commit to continuing the important strategic plan roll out, with people at the heart of that direction,” Brodeo said.  

Matson is currently chief safety, health and environment officer at Transport for London (TfL), where she is the lead for safety, sustainability and TfL’s transition to net zero emissions. She has helped lead the development of London’s 20-year transportation, safety and environmental strategies, ensuring TfL has clear targets to become a healthier, safer, greener city. 

UITP says the term for the new president and deputy president will be until the next UITP General Assembly in June 2026.