American Student Transportation Partners is proud to announce that Jeff Ellis has been promoted to Chief People Officer.
Jeff is a leader and executive with a 30-year track record of coaching people for improved performance and helping companies meet their potential. He has broad industry experience in the transportation, environmental services, healthcare, and utility industries and has served in multiple functional areas including human resources, safety & risk management, operations, and sales.
Jeff’s career started in the environmental services industry where he had roles in regulatory compliance consulting, led plant level Health, Safety & Environmental programs for a privately held waste management company and later transitioned into a field sales role growing a territory from zero to almost $4M in revenues. Leveraging the waste management industry experience Jeff moved into a broader risk management and safety role as a Sr. Consultant for the environmental insurance unit of XL Capital Ltd. In this client facing role Jeff worked closely with underwriting and risk management staff on a $27M book of 55 accounts assisting customers in the transportation, chemical and environmental sectors to improve their safety and risk management programs and reduce claims and losses.
In 2005 Jeff entered the transportation business when he was recruited to Student Transportation of America, Inc. and served as the Corporate Director of HR, Risk Management & Safety. Jeff participated on due diligence and integration teams for 15 acquisitions in the U.S. and Canada. Under Jeff’s leadership vehicle and workers compensation claims and losses were reduced by more than 10%. Jeff also led development and implementation of new leadership development and training programs and developed a corporate recruiting program that doubled driver candidates in key markets with shortages.
In 2008 Jeff was recruited to TransCare a NY based regional ambulance and paratransit company, serving as the Vice President Human Resources, Risk Management & Safety. Jeff led employee engagement and process improvement initiatives that that resulted in a 44% reduction in injury and illness rates and 55% reduction in incurred workers compensation losses. Jeff also designed and led union avoidance efforts resulting in five company wins during large union organizing campaigns in New York City operations. Jeff’s and his HR team initiated systemic changes in the Company’s talent acquisition technology platform and screening practices that reduced annual hiring costs by $250k and decreased employee turnover by more than 10%.
In 2015, Jeff transitioned to the power generation and utilities business working first in Exelon’s nuclear power generation unit and later at the company’s Baltimore Gas & Electric utility operations. In both roles Jeff led Human Resources teams and projects focused on employee and labor relations, employee engagement, and talent excellence. Key roles within Exelon included Jeff’s leadership for the successful talent redeployment process for the closure of the Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Station and a leadership role on the negotiating committee for a first contract between the 1,400 member IBEW Local 410 and Baltimore Gas & Electric.
Jeff earned a BS in Environmental Sciences at Wesley College and an MBA from Georgian Court University. He is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resource (SPHR) through HRCI.
Learn more about the ASTP Leadership Team.