AECOM has appointed Tom Predergast and Denise Berger as head of Transit within the Design and Consulting Services Americas (DCSA) and chief operating officer (COO), respectively to drive growth and strategy, the company announced on Monday.
“Denise and Tom are better equipped than anyone in the industry to help the tri-state area leverage those federal dollars to help solve our pressing transportation and infrastructure needs and make it a model for the future of mobility,” said Steve Morriss, AECOM’s president of Design and Consulting Services Americas.
In his new role, Prendergast will focus on AECOM’s transit market across the Americas. He will bring over 25 years of experience to AECOM. Prior to joining the company, Prendergast served as president, CEO and chairman of MTA New York City Transit.
Prendergast spent most of his career in a variety of senior leadership roles with New York State’s MTA, the largest agency of its kind in the country, serving over 8.5 million daily users. He is a board member of the Regional Plan Association and the Eno Center for Transportation, past vice chair of the APTA Commuter Rail Committee and past chair of the Standard Development Oversight Committee.
He has a deep understanding of public and private sector design and operation complex transportation systems in highly visible and politically-sensitive arenas, as well as how to integrate private financing into transportation programs.
“Transit is my passion, and I’ve had the privilege of serving this market in New York for decades,” Prendergast said. “I’m looking forward to this next chapter in my career, taking on a national transit role with an industry leader like AECOM, while staying rooted in the city I love.”
Berger has over 30 years of experience in the transportation and building industry. She will bring extensive expertise in leading many large-scale and complex capital projects for aviation, ports, tunnels, bridges and terminals, Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH), and the World Trade Center to AECOM.
Berger will join the company from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where she served as chief of operations for the Engineering Department. The department comprises over 550 architects and engineers, with a $1.3 billion annual budget and is a critical contributor to delivering the agency’s $32 billion Capital Plan by planning, designing, constructing, and commissioning critical transportation projects for the region.
In addition, Berger serves on the board of directors for NYIT’s School of Architecture and Design’s Advisory Board, WTS International Board and the Professional Women in Construction (PWC) board of directors.
“My career working in the public sector has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m proud of the projects the Port Authority Engineering Department planned, designed and delivered for the people of New York and New Jersey,” Berger said. “Joining AECOM enables me to continue serving the industry as part of the private sector with a company known for delivering some of New York’s most iconic projects.”
Both leaders have assumed their respective roles with the company and are based in New York City.
About AECOM
AECOM is the world’s premier infrastructure firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from planning, design and engineering to consulting and construction management. We partner with our clients in the public and private sectors to solve their most complex challenges and build legacies for generations to come.
On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, governments, energy and the environment, our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm with revenue of approximately $20.2 billion during fiscal year 2019.
