Gabriel J. Lopez-Bernal

President, Icomera North America | Transportation Technology & Policy | P&L Management | Fast Company Executive Board

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

About

I work at the intersection of transportation technology, P&L management, and government policy; a combination that's increasingly hard to separate in regulated industries. As President of Icomera North America, I've spent the past decade building out this region from scratch, working with transit agencies, passenger railroads, and OEMs like Siemens Mobility and Prevost Car Inc. The work spans operations across the U.S. and Canada, and it involves as much policy navigation as it does commercial execution. Three things tend to define how I work: Business building in complex markets. I've started from zero more than once; building teams, negotiating multi-stakeholder contracts, and figuring out go-to-market in industries where the procurement rules weren't written with innovation in mind. Policy and government affairs. As Treasurer of the Commuter Rail Coalition, I engage regularly with Congress, FRA, FTA, and state DOTs on funding frameworks and regulatory direction. I try to understand where policy is going before it gets there. Technical and commercial fluency. I'm comfortable on both sides of the table; understanding how connectivity systems are architected and how transit agencies actually make buying decisions. Bridging those two worlds is most of the job. My foundation was at the U.S. Department of Transportation, working across FRA, FTA, and ITS-JPO on early connected vehicle policy. That experience still shapes how I think about technology adoption in regulated environments. I contribute regularly to Fast Company and industry publications on procurement reform, mobility innovation, and what public-sector technology adoption actually looks like in practice. Recognized by Railway Age (25 Fast Trackers Under 40, 2025), Mass Transit Magazine (40 Under 40, 2021), and U.S. DOT's John A. Volpe Award (2009).

Experience

  • Icomera (Full-time · 10 yrs 11 mos)
    • President
      Jun 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 1 mo

      Leads P&L and strategic operations across the U.S., and Canada for North America's leading rail connectivity and digital infrastructure provider. - Built region from inception into one of the company's largest and most profitable markets - Serves on Global Management Team, influencing corporate strategy and product development - Leads U.S. federal government affairs strategy, engaging with FRA, FTA, and DOT leadership

    • Vice President of Sales and Marketing
      Jul 2020 - Jun 2022 · 2 yrs

      Led commercial strategy and market development during critical growth phase.

    • Sales Director
      Nov 2016 - Jul 2020 · 3 yrs 9 mos

  • Treasurer at Commuter Rail Coalition
    Jul 2023 - Present · 3 yrs

    Manages financial oversight and lead federal advocacy initiatives for national coalition representing commuter rail operators. - Engages with Congressional Transportation Committees, FRA, FTA, and state DOTs on rail modernization funding and regulatory policy - Advances coalition priorities on safety regulations, technology adoption, and outcome-based procurement reform

  • Client Manager at TranSystems
    Oct 2012 - Dec 2015 · 3 yrs 3 mos

    Led cross-functional teams delivering transit technology consulting projects for public agencies.

  • Operations Research Analyst at US Department of Transportation (DOT)
    Feb 2009 - Oct 2012 · 3 yrs 9 mos

  • Transportation Planner at The Corradino Group
    2008 - 2009 · 1 yr