Executive Moves: Railroading and ocean shipping

Norfolk Southern appoints senior vice president; Liberian Shipowners’ Council names general secretary
   Norfolk Southern Corp. has named Michael Farrell as the senior vice president of transportation.
   Farrell is based in Atlanta and reports to Michael Wheeler, executive vice president and chief operating officer. His responsibilities include all transportation operations, division mechanical and rail terminal management functions.
   For more than a year, Farrell has served Norfolk Southern in a consulting role, leading “clean sheeting” teams across the network. Clean Sheeting is a process to redesign local operations without preconceptions — starting in terminals and local serving yards where cars accumulate — to increase network velocity and generate efficiencies. Clean Sheeting is providing a foundation for Norfolk Southern’s new operating plan, currently in development.
   Prior to joining Norfolk Southern, Farrell served as general manager of operations and mechanical of the Prairie and U.S. West divisions for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Previously, he served as general superintendent of North American terminals for Canadian National Railway. His railroad career began in 1990 with Union Pacific Railroad.
 

   Kierstin Lachtman will take over as general secretary of the Liberian Shipowners’ Council (LSC) in February. Joseph Ludwiczak is retiring after 17 years at the helm. 
 
   Lachtman, who will be based in the LSC offices in Dulles, Va., currently is the manager of maritime policy for Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) in Washington, D.C. Her responsibilities include developing maritime policy in concert with shipowner members, determining and coordinating shipping industry positions on safety, environmental, operational and regulatory issues and advocating members’ positions at regulatory and industry fora, including IMO.  
   “Kierstin is a highly motivated and accomplished maritime professional with a well-deserved reputation for informed advocacy on behalf of shipowners,” said Adamantios Lemos, chairman of the LSC board. 
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Senior Editor Kim Link-Wills has written about everything from agriculture as a reporter for Illinois Agri-News to zoology as editor of the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. Her work has garnered awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Magazine Association of the Southeast. Prior to serving as managing editor of American Shipper, Kim spent more than four years with XPO Logistics.