Keolis announces death of Bernard Tabary, Group Chief Executive Officer International

Below, we integrally publish the press note sent by Keolis Group.

Keolis is immensely saddened to announce the sudden death on the morning of Sunday 19 March of Bernard Tabary, Group Chief Executive Officer in charge of the international business.

“Bernard was massively appreciated by our colleagues, partners and clients with whom he worked tirelessly all around the world. Renowned for his enthusiasm for public transport and encyclopedic knowledge of the sector, Bernard was also defined by his extraordinary energy and humanity. His one-of-a-kind personality, open-mindedness and understanding of different cultures have been of immeasurable value for Keolis, where he has left a profound mark and will remain a reference for us all. Our grief is immense and our heartfelt thoughts are with Bernard’s family and loved ones.” Marie-Ange Debon, Keolis Group Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer.

The thoughts of the Group’s management team and staff are with Bernard’s wife, children, grandson, family and friends.

Bernard Tabary was a graduate of Rouen Business School. He started his career with the Bolloré group in 1983, where he held a number of management roles in the Transport and Logistics branch, including Vice Chairman of Marketing, Quality and Information Systems (1989 – 1994), Managing Director Australia and New Zealand (1994 – 1995) and Director Africa Line (1997 – 2000).

In 2000, he was appointed Managing Director of the Environment Division of Plastic Omnium, an automotive equipment manufacturer.

He joined the Keolis Group in 2005 as as Executive Vice President in charge of Eastern France and Ile-de-France. In 2007, he was appointed Managing Director of Keolis Lyon, the Keolis Group’s subsidiary in charge of operating and maintaining Lyon’s public transport network. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer International in 2011.

He was also President of the Australia France Business Association, a member of the AREP (a SNCF subsidiary) Board of Directors, and had recently been elected to the UITP International Association of Public Transport’s Board of Directors.

We had the privilege of interviewing Bernard Tabary at UITP Global Public Transport Summit 2019, where we had the opportunity to appreciate his foresight, passion and clarity of vision on the evolution of public transport.