Board to consider Goran Sparrman’s appointment as Sound Transit’s interim CEO

The Sound Transit Board of Directors today announced that they will be considering a one-year appointment of Goran Sparrman as the agency’s interim CEO at a special meeting of the Board on Thursday, January 11, 2024. 

"With his extensive public and private sector experience in Puget Sound region transportation planning and operations, and familiarity with Sound Transit, Goran will bring a unique skillset to help the board and staff drive the agency forward," said Sound Transit Board Chair and King County Executive Dow Constantine. "Goran will be able to quickly step into leadership of the staff and seize the opportunities of the two new rail extensions opening this year, while continuing development of the largest transit expansion in the nation, to ensure Sound Transit’s success."

"Goran is well-respected for his skill and knowledge in transportation and infrastructure projects," said Sound Transit Vice Chair and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. "He’s a trusted regional leader who would bring a steady hand to an agency with which he is already familiar."

"In my years of experience working with Sound Transit, I know the staff to be dedicated professionals committed to building and operating the transit system our region deserves," Sparrman said. "I’m looking forward to collaborating with them as we build on the successes that are coming this year and look for solutions for the challenges that lie ahead."

Sparrman would bring more than 30 years of experience in the public and private sector to the interim CEO role. His most recent position has been as business development officer and vice president at HNTB Corporation, a major infrastructure firm.

Prior to joining HNTB, from 2011 to 2014 Sparrman served as the deputy director and interim director of the Seattle Department of Transportation, where he led planning, design, building, maintenance, and operations of Seattle’s transportation infrastructure. He was also Director of the City of Bellevue Transportation Department for 12 years, where he worked closely with Sound Transit on the planning for the East Link Extension.

Sparrman is a licensed professional engineer in Washington and holds the equivalent of both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Sound Transit builds and operates regional transit services for growing urban areas of Washington’s Pierce, King, and Snohomish counties. The region is home to more than 50 cities and more than 40 percent of the state’s residents, who have authorized the most ambitious transit expansions in the nation. This year, Sound Transit will open light rail extensions to Lynnwood and from South Bellevue to Redmond Technology Center. The system is the first nationally to operate entirely on carbon-free electricity.