Omar Messado – Leading with Integrity, Building Lasting Success

Some careers are built on technical expertise. Others are built on relationships. Omar Messado has built his on both. Over several decades, he has helped lead procurement, transportation, construction, and infrastructure projects that keep organizations moving. Along the way, he has become known for something equally important: developing people. Whether negotiating complex contracts or mentoring future leaders, Messado believes success is measured by the positive impact you leave on others.

Born in Jamaica, West Indies and raised in New York after immigrating to the United States at the age of ten, he has carried the same principles throughout his career. Those principles are integrity, fairness, preparation, and continuous learning.

"Success is when you take a brief pause and look back on where you have been, where you came from and where you are now," he says. "It is not just about career growth. It is about the many people you have helped along the way."

How Omar Messado built a career in procurement and leadership

Messado grew up watching his parents build successful careers through hard work. His father worked as an electrical engineer for Con Edison, while his mother worked in a corporate office. Their example taught him that success comes from consistency rather than shortcuts.

After graduating from Rice High School with First Honors and a Special Award for Business, he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Iona College. He later completed coursework in Financial Planning before earning a Master of Science in Civil Engineering and Transportation Management from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University.

The combination of finance, engineering and transportation gave him a broad understanding of how large organizations operate. It also prepared him for leadership roles that required both technical knowledge and practical decision-making.

What makes Omar Messado an effective procurement leader?

Throughout his career, Messado has held senior procurement positions with Metro-North Railroad, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), and Kawasaki Rail Car. His work has included strategic sourcing, contract management, rolling stock procurement, construction and infrastructure programs, and operational improvements.

Despite the scale of those responsibilities, he believes leadership always comes back to people.

"Be a leader that is open to learning from others, especially those you supervise," he says. "Give credit and recognition to those who deserve it."

He also believes mistakes should become learning opportunities rather than reasons for blame.

"Understand that mistakes will be made," he explains. "The important thing is to educate so they are not repeated."

That approach has helped him earn a reputation for fairness, collaboration, and objective decision-making throughout his career.

The contract negotiation that changed his perspective

One experience stands out as an example of Messado's problem-solving approach.

While working as a Contract Administration and Marketing Manager at Kawasaki, he was asked to help resolve a difficult contract in Boston. The nearly completed program needed to be closed before the end of the financial year, but commercial damages created a significant challenge.

Many believed the only option was to make a contractual payment.

Instead, Messado proposed something different.

He suggested replacing part of the financial settlement with a package of valuable deliverables that would better meet the customer's current operational needs while remaining commercially fair for both organizations.

The customer accepted the proposal. The contract was formally amended, the deliverables were completed, and the program closed before the deadline.

Rather than simply following the obvious path, he found a solution that benefited everyone involved.

"There is always a way to resolve things," he says. "It does not need to be dramatic nor destructive."

Why mentorship is central to Omar Messado's leadership style

Messado often measures success differently from many business leaders.

For him, promotions and completed projects are important, but they are not the final goal.

"My success is when you see the accomplishment of others based on your input, guidance and support," he says. "Your success is measured by the accomplishments of your team."

That philosophy has made mentoring one of the most rewarding parts of his career.

He also credits one mentor for shaping his own leadership style.

Gennaro "Gene" Sansone shared a simple lesson that Messado has carried throughout his professional life.

"Say what you mean and mean what you say."

The advice became his personal standard for building trust, resolving conflicts and maintaining integrity, even during difficult periods that included professional barriers and discrimination.

How Omar Messado stays focused on long-term success

Messado believes successful careers require both planning and flexibility.

He sets clear short-term and long-term goals while recognizing that changing circumstances sometimes require adjustments.

Outside work, he has also found value in maintaining healthy routines. After learning to swim at the age of fifty, swimming became part of his daily routine and a way to reset mentally.

"When I finish swimming, my mind is clear to meet the new day," he says. "Everything from the day before is erased."

That habit helps him approach challenges with renewed focus and fresh perspective.

Omar Messado's view of leadership

Looking back, Messado sees leadership as something much bigger than managing projects or meeting deadlines.

It is about helping others succeed.

It is about solving problems with integrity.

And it is about leaving every organization stronger than when you arrived.

His career demonstrates that lasting success is not built through individual achievement alone. It is built by developing people, earning trust, and bringing practical ideas to life that continue creating value long after a project is complete.