I enjoy talking with customers on trains and buses to hear their thoughts as I help shape new policy.

⚠️ Pandemic Best Practices: Changing Transit’s Future

“Interesting and motivating with many of the themes that resonate across various transit agencies within US and Internationally. It surely feels like digital transformation will be forefront on how we interact with our customers, run our day-to-day operations, and leverage technology to make our systems and platforms robust and resilient.” –Transit Agency Executive

“Terrific evidence-driven public transit resource. Should be required reading for all transit authorities and agencies.” –Executive Management Expert

🦺 About Stewart

Stewart Mader uses his technology, finance, and transit experience to maximize mobility that builds health, economic, and climate resilience in our communities. As Customer Advocate & Chief Customer Experience Officer for NJ TRANSIT, he works at the nexus of policy and customer experience. Stewart helped establish PATH Riders Council to guide enhancements for 80 million annual riders, updated the map in 350 train cars with regional transit connections, and partnered with the MTA to streamline transfers during construction. The Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, USA Today Network, Mobility Lab, New Jersey Future and other forums have created a wide audience for Stewart‘s transit policy ideas. Stewart’s social media followers recognize his New York & New Jersey Subway Map, Transit Standards, and Pandemic Best Practices: Changing Transit’s Future as high-value insight to help activate customers to advocate for investment in equitable and reliable mobility.

Stewart worked as a senior executive in Silicon Valley and Wall Street. As Global Head of Digital Strategy, Stewart streamlined customer experience at Fitch Ratings to accelerate its market intelligence business. He transformed CFA Institute’s customer experience and campaign for financial reform, building a social media presence named #1 in finance by Association Trends. CQ Roll Call named @CFAInstitute one of 100 Association Twitter Handles You Should Follow. He wrote the book Wikipatterns drawing on his experience as Chief Evangelist for Atlassian, and as a digital strategy consultant to global organizations including Airbus, ICANN, SAP, Thales, and World Bank-IFC.

Earlier in his career, Stewart led instructional design at Brown University, Emerson College, Long Island University, and University of Hartford. PBS stations aired “Skysight” and “Seeing the Scientific Light”, two NASA Space Grant-funded films he wrote, directed, and edited. Stewart’s qualifications include a B.S., Chemistry, Magna Cum Laude from University of Hartford, M.S., Curriculum Development and Instructional Design from University at Albany, and a certificate in Jurisdictional Crisis Incident Management from Texas A&M Engineering Extension (TEEX).

🚉 How I Connect with Customers

“I want you to hear directly from me about what happened,” I said to NJ TRANSIT customers in the nation’s largest media market, embodying FEMA’s best practices for incident management. My explanation of the infrastructure factors that contributed to a service disruption drove media coverage, including an article with the headline Sorry for Monday’s Massive Delays; Now Get Us New Hudson Tunnel.

As NJ TRANSIT’s customer advocate, I highlighted how crews prepare to keep service running safely during winter storms – and urged customers to ask their municipalities to clear snow from locally-owned bus stops.

“Grazie!” I said to Renato Geremicca (right) for inviting me to keynote the international Forum Risorse Umane conference in Milan in 2015, where I shared how I transformed Fitch Ratings’ website into a continuously updated information source, and the face of the organization.

During a simulated emergency press conference at Texas A&M Engineering Extension (TEEX), I performed the role of Public Information Officer and fielded questions at 02:30.

To gather customers’ views on the New York & New Jersey Subway Map, I interviewed riders at the Fulton Street subway station in Manhattan.

Addressing the 11-member Board of Commissioners of the Port Authority of NY & NJ, I described key transit improvements delivered in collaboration with PATH staff during my first year as chair of the PATH Riders Council.

Speaking in New York City to the Transportation Reinvention Commission – formed by Gov. Cuomo to identify bold steps to revitalize transit in the New York-New Jersey region – I advocated a seamless regional transit map.

📊 How I Brief the Board

Each month, I update and field questions from the five-member customer service committee of NJ TRANSIT’s 11-member board, appointed by the Governor.


What Others Are Saying

Here is what others have to say about working with me. You can see these and other testimonials on my LinkedIn profile.

“Every time I talk with Stewart Mader, I learn a new way of thinking about transportation and mobility. He sheds old myths and looks at new realities. He quickly spots issues and works creatively to resolve them.” -Client

“Stewart is hands down one of the best managers I’ve worked for. As both a mentor and an advocate for his team members, Stewart maintains a high level of engagement with each project, while somehow never micromanaging the details.” -Colleague

“Stewart approaches every project with exponential neurons firing and a great sense of humor.” – Colleague

“For 45 minutes he captivated the audience…We only received positive reviews on his engaging presentation style and in-depth knowledge.” -Client

“Stewart took time literally in the middle of a cross-country move to speak to our newly-formed team. He provided tons of insights and examples from his experience, and team members are still talking about the nuggets they took away.” -Client

🧰 Tools to Use

Thinking Ahead

Investing in Customer Experience

Op-Eds

Case Studies

Get Updates on Transit Policy & Customer Experience

* indicates required