Room: International AB
Sponsor(s)
 
Session Description
ZEB User Conference – Session 3: Operationalization – From Procurement to Pull-Out
Stream: Leadership Stream
Moderator: Helen Wright, CIMA+
Speakers/Presenters:
1. Mike Macas – Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
EBus Operational Lessons Learned
2. Stephen Bacchus – MiWay & Anaïssia Franca – CIMA+
ZEB Change Management Framework: The Case of MiWay
3. Ahmed Mumeni – Jacobs
Operational Readiness for Zero?Emission Bus Fleets: Lessons Transit Can Borrow from Aviation ORAT
4. Andrew Cowles – Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
Infrastructure and Commissioning Lessons Learned
5. Sasha Pejcic – BetterFleet
Charge Management the Hard Way – Lessons Learned From the Front Line
In Session?3, we move into the phase where all earlier elements—safety, training, workforce competency—must function together under real operating conditions.
This is where many agencies have experienced their steepest learning curve.
Our panelists bring lessons from change management, operational readiness, infrastructure rollout, charge management software, and charging system integration.
TheyÂ’ll speak candidly about what they encountered during actual deployments:
– commissioning challenges that were not visible during planning
– unexpected conflicts when multiple buses needed charging simultaneously
– SOC limitations affecting pull?out and block performance
– inconsistencies between bus data and charger data
– SOPs rewritten in the early weeks of service
– cross?departmental coordination issues
– organizational adjustments needed to support daily ZEB operations
This session focuses on the realities of making ZEBs work Monday to Friday, not just during pilot projects.
The previous sessions were about understanding the bus and the people who support it, this session is about building the organization around it.
Speaker(s) / Presenter(s)
Stephen Bacchus – Manager, Transit Fleet, Engineering & Asset Management, MiWay
Bio:
Stephen has more than 15+ years of public and private sector transit work experience, leading technical and strategic teams to deliver on organizational short- and long-term objectives. In his role at the City of Mississauga (MiWay Transit), Stephen leads 3 main teams including the Zero-Emission Mobility, Engineering, and Asset Management teams which are comprised of engineers, mechanical and electrical specialists, project managers, and analysts. His team is responsible for the lifecycle asset management of roughly 500 public transit buses and 75 non-revenue support vehicles with an estimated replacement value of over $700 million. Stephen is passionate about tackling challenging, multi-faceted problems head on, working with equally passionate people to solve the environmental, humanitarian, and societal issues of our day, while also recognizing that we need government, business, not-for-profits and for-profits, and every individual engaged in building a better future.
Bio:
Anaïssia Franca is the director and Associate Partner of Strategic Consulting and Advisory Services at CIMA+. With over ten years of experience in transit decarbonation, she leads the development and implementation of sustainability and decarbonization strategies for transit agencies, municipalities, governments, and private sector clients. Her work focuses on actionable, client-specific plans that bridge strategy and execution, emphasizing change management and stakeholder engagement. She holds a Master of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria, specializing in transportation electrification. Since 2021, she has chaired the Board of InnovÉÉ, supporting innovation in transportation electrification and renewable energy.
Ahmed Mumeni – Program Manager Transit, Zero Emissions Lead, Jacobs
Bio:
Ahmed Mumeni is a Program Manager and Transit Zero Emission Lead at Jacobs, a global professional services firm delivering sustainable solutions in infrastructure, transportation, and energy. Ahmed has over a decade of experience in fleet management, transit operations, and zero-emission infrastructure planning. He supports public transit agencies and commercial fleet operators in navigating the paradigm shift from conventional to electrified and zero-emission fleets. Prior to his current role, Ahmed led the operational integration of battery electric buses at BC Transit, overseeing deployments across 10 communities and supporting the delivery of 115 buses and 134 chargers. He holds a diploma in Mechanical Engineering Technology, a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Geography, and an MBA in Sustainable Innovation.
Andrew Cowles – Chief Engineer Renewable Energy Program, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
Bio:
Bio:
Sasha Pejcic is Managing Partner at BetterFleet where he leads their Canadian and US companies. In this role, he is responsible for customer experience, operations, growth, strategy, and performance management. Additionally, Sasha acts as BetterFleetÂ’s Global Bus Lead, lending technical knowledge and expertise to projects across the world.
As a management consultant, Sasha supports fleet operators and other related industries (utilities, equipment suppliers, etc.) with the transition to zero emission vehicles, both battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell. Sasha also works with transit agencies to rationalize their services to grow ridership, improve customer satisfaction, and maximize cost efficiencies. Sasha has successfully led a 100+ portfolio of diverse transit projects, including over four dozen in the zero-emission bus and vehicle space.
A demonstrated leader in transit, Sasha is an ENO alumnus. He has proudly served on Board of Directors for the Ontario Public Transit Association (OPTA) since 2015, serves on the Zero Emission Vehicle Task Force and the Executive Management and Finance Committee for the California Transit Association, and is involved with numerous industry committees of APTA, CUTA, and CTA. He recently authored a chapter on zero emission buses for best-selling book, The Future of Public Transportation. Sasha was named one of Mass TransitÂ’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2018.
Mike Macas – Chief Engineer, Bus & Automotive, Vehicle Engineering, Vehicle Programs Dept, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
Bio:
Mike Macas is Chief Engineer of Vehicles at the Toronto Transit Commission, where he oversees procurements, engineering and performance for the TTCÂ’s bus fleet. He has led the transition to low and zero-emission technologies, including implementing battery-electric buses and addressing operational challenges. Prior to TTC, Mike spent nearly a decade in product engineering at a major automotive OEM, specializing in chassis systems design and testing.
Moderator(s)
Michelle Jones – Senior Project Manager, Jacobs
Bio:
Michelle N. Jones is JacobsÂ’ Market Growth Lead for Transportation Decarbonization and a Senior Project Manager specializing in zero?emission transit and facility decarbonization. Before joining Jacobs, she held senior roles at the Toronto Transit Commission, where she worked on early battery?electric bus initiatives, facility readiness, and renewable energy programs.
At Jacobs, Michelle supports transit agencies and municipalities in developing practical approaches to fleet electrification and facility decarbonization, including charging infrastructure planning, facility upgrades, operational readiness, and the day?to?day interface between vehicles, chargers, and depot operations.
At OPTA OTE, Michelle is contributing to two sessions:
• ZEB Day – Operationalization: From Procurement to Pull?Out, sharing infrastructure and commissioning lessons learned.
• Cybersecurity in Transit, discussing how cyber risks appear at the intersection of vehicles, chargers, facilities, and IT–OT systems.