The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has announced that it will be resuming its search for a new general manager after former GM Richard Sarles retired in January. The search was paused in March due to disagreements between WMATA board members about what kind of experience the new GM would need to have, but has been restarted at the behest of concerned D.C. residents. The board has now rewritten the job description and signed a $92,000 contract with an executive search firm to help the agency land an executive who can help it navigate its current troubled situation.
WMATA is struggling in several areas, making the need for strong leadership crucial. A smoke incident on a Metro train killed a passenger in January, and the subsequent investigation found several safety flaws in the agency's operations. The major debate among board members was over whether the new GM should have a background in public transit or whether hiring a "turnaround specialist," or an executive with a history of revitalizing troubled organizations, would be a better move.
Now, the board has decided to move ahead with a search that will "include GM/CEO candidates with financial management experience and those outside government and the transit industry," Metro officials report.
Metro's search demonstrates the usefulness of engaging an executive search firm in terms of reaching candidates outside an organization's own industry. WMATA's executive search consultants will help it find an executive with experience in struggling agencies unrelated to transit, which would have been difficult using only the connections of internal employees.
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