As part of its realignment, Union Pacific announced Wednesday the appointments of Beth Whited to executive vice president and chief human resources officer; Tom Lischer to executive vice president of operations; Kenny Rocker to executive vice president of marketing and sales; David Giandinoto to vice president of the Harriman Dispatching Center and network operations; and Kari Kirchhoefer to vice president of industrial. The appointments are effective immediately.
“This new organization positions us to tackle the challenges and opportunities of today and into the future,” said Lance Fritz, Union Pacific chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Specifically, we must deliver a more consistent and reliable service product for our customers, and we need to further engage employees to unlock new levels of passion and dedication while leveraging our diverse talents.”
Scott will retire Feb. 28. He will serve as a company vice president until then. He had been executive vice president and COO since February 2014. He previously had been vice president of network planning and operations and was responsible for directing the railroad’s service design and evaluation, transportation planning, network and capital planning, network development and joint facilities activities. Scott, who joined the company in 1990, served as vice president of operations for Union Pacific’s Western Region prior to that.
Whited will be responsible for Union Pacific’s human resources and labor relations functions and will lead the company’s new employee engagement and culture initiatives. She had served as executive vice president and chief marketing officer since November 2016. Whited, who joined the company in 1987, succeeds Sherrye Hutcherson.
Lischer will be responsible for the company’s train operations throughout the railroad’s 23 states. He had led Union Pacific’s centralized train dispatching organization since April 2017. Lischer, who joined the company in 1995, succeeds Scott.
Rocker will be responsible for the company’s four major business units: agriculture, energy, industrial and premium, including Union Pacific’s Mexico business that accounted for about 11 percent of the railroad’s total 2017 volume. He also oversees the company’s customer care and support team and the Loup Logistics subsidiary. Rocker had served as vice president and general manager of the industrial business since August 2016. Rocker, who joined Union Pacific in 1994, succeeds Whited.
Giandinoto, who joined Union Pacific in 1994, will lead the centralized train dispatching organization. He most recently served as assistant vice president of locomotive distribution and network operations. He succeeds Lischer.
Kirchhoefer, who has been with Union Pacific for 26 years, will be responsible for customers in multiple commodity areas including construction, lumber and paper products, metals and ores, specialized markets, minerals, industrial chemicals, plastics and soda ash. She most recently served as vice president of customer care and support. She succeeds Rocker.
Union Pacific also announced Wednesday that it will shift its network planning and operations function reporting structure to Lynden Tennison, executive vice president and chief strategy officer. It previously reported to the chief operating officer and was embedded in the company’s operating department.
“The NPO team plays a key role in Union Pacific’s business planning and management processes,” Fritz said. “This shift creates greater opportunities to coordinate between our operating department, marketing and sales, and finance areas to align and modify our transportation plan with technology as we continue to develop new and innovative ways to serve our customers.”
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