People news from Toronto Transit and Reading & Northern

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has tapped Mandeep Lali to serve as the commission's new CEO, effective July 7. Lali joins TTC from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City, where for nearly three years he has served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for subways, TTC officials said in a press release. Prior to that, he spent more than 13 years at Transport for London, and nearly seven years as an executive with OTIS elevators. Lali will take over the role from Interim CEO Greg Percy, who committed to the interim role for nine months.

Reading & Northern Railroad (R&N) has promoted Jim Raffa to executive vice president of marketing and sales. He will help create and implement the company's commercial strategy. Raffa has over 35 years of railroad experience and now is responsible for the railroad's petrochemicals and minerals market segments and industrial development. As part of R&N's strategic growth goals, Raffa is leading the company's effort to acquire the Luzerne County railroads now owned by the county redevelopment authority, according to an R&N press release.