Omar Messado

About Omar Messado

Omar Messado is a procurement specialist with over two decades of experience in transportation infrastructure, contract management, and strategic procurement. He has held senior leadership roles at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Metro-North Railroad, and Kawasaki Rail Car, Inc., where he directed procurement operations for rolling stock, infrastructure projects, and design-build initiatives.

Born in Jamaica, Messado immigrated to the United States by age 10 and grew up in New York City with two brothers. His father worked as an electrical engineer for Con Edison, and his mother was a secretary for a corporate office in New York City. He attended parochial schools in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and New York City before earning a BBA in Finance from Iona College in 1990. He completed coursework in Financial Planning at Pace University through 1993 and later earned an MS in Civil Engineering/Transportation Management from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University in 2012.

Messado began his career at MTA New York City Transit in 1998 as an Associate Staff Analyst, advancing through roles in quality control and transit management analysis. In 2005, he joined Kawasaki Rail Car, Inc. as Manager of Contract Administration & Marketing, where he gained private sector procurement experience. He returned to the public sector in 2009, joining MTA Metro-North Railroad as Manager of Procurement and Material Management. Over the following years, he advanced to Assistant Director and then Senior Director of Metro-North Railroad Procurement, a position he held from 2017 to 2023. In 2023, he was appointed Assistant Deputy Chief Procurement Officer at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, serving until October 2025. He currently works as a Procurement Specialist on a remote basis.

Throughout his career, Messado has led cross-functional teams to exceed key performance indicators, streamline procurement processes, and negotiate major contracts. He states that his leadership philosophy centers on mentorship, fairness, and supporting team success. He has completed advanced education in risk assessment, budgets and cost and price analysis, situational leadership and decision making, managerial critical thinking, business writing, political savvy, and fundamentals of design-build project delivery.

Messado is a member of the American Public Transportation Association, the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, the Yonkers Bike Club, and Westchester Social Cyclists. He volunteers with the Ossining Food Bank and Pantry. He describes his morning swimming routine, which he has maintained since age 50, as a practice that clears his mind and helps him manage challenges. He resides in Ossining, New York.