OC Transpo Associate General Manager Oliver Monahan Resigns After Brief Tenure
Oliver Monahan has resigned from his position as associate general manager of OC Transpo, the public transit service in Ottawa. Monahan was hired for this role in the fall of 2025, bringing with him extensive experience from senior positions at Arriva, a British transport company, and Transport for London.
Timing of Resignation Follows Leadership Changes
The announcement of Monahan's resignation came less than five days after the city appointed Rick Leary, the former CEO of the Toronto Transit Commission, as the new general manager of OC Transpo. This leadership shift follows the departure of the previous general manager, Renée Amilcar, who left Ottawa in June after nearly four years leading the transit service.
In an email sent to Mayor Sutcliffe and city councillors on Tuesday, March 31, city manager Wendy Stephanson explained that Monahan was hired as part of an executive search launched in late 2024. The goal was to bring fresh perspectives and experience to support the department during a period of major transformation.
Monahan's Background and Contributions
Monahan had a diverse career in transportation before joining OC Transpo. He served as area managing director with Arriva Bus, which operates bus, coach, and train services across Europe. Additionally, he held multiple roles at Transport for London, including positions in incident response, service control network control, major projects, and as a senior operating officer. Monahan also holds a law degree.
One of his key areas of expertise is multimodal transit delivery, which involves moving passengers using two or more modes of transportation. In November, OC Transpo's interim general manager Troy Charter introduced Monahan to the transit committee, highlighting his more than 25 years of hands-on transit experience.
Charter stated, "Oliver has led major initiatives in both rail service planning and multimodal transit delivery. In our short period of time working with Oliver, we really realized that he cares deeply about public service, and it really does show he's had a positive impact on the organization the short time that he's had with us."
Challenges During Monahan's Tenure
During his time at OC Transpo, Monahan faced significant operational challenges. In January, OC Transpo removed 41 train cars from service on Line 1 after the Rideau Transit Group discovered an issue in the cartridge bearing assemblies. As of March 20, officials reported that they were still waiting for all train cars to be repaired.
Speaking to reporters shortly after his appointment on March 27, new general manager Rick Leary emphasized his commitment to developing a clear plan to restore full train service and re-establish bus reliability. This context underscores the ongoing difficulties within Ottawa's transit system that Monahan encountered during his brief tenure.
Stephanson's email acknowledged Monahan's contributions, noting that since joining the team in October, he had provided practical expertise in helping to advance service modernization across Ottawa's growing multimodal system.
