Corporate Officers

John C. Hellmann photo John C. Hellmann
President and Chief Executive Officer

John C. Hellmann, President and Chief Executive Officer, joined the Company in January 2000 and served as Chief Financial Officer through April 2005. He was named President in May 2005 and Chief Executive Officer in June 2007. Previously, Mr. Hellmann worked in investment banking at Lehman Brothers, Inc., in the Emerging Communications Group, and at Schroder & Co. Inc., in the Transportation Group. He also worked for Weyerhaeuser Co. in Japan and the People’s Republic of China.

Mr. Hellmann is a graduate of Princeton University and received his M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.


Timothy J. Gallagher photo Timothy J. Gallagher
Chief Financial Officer

Timothy J. Gallagher joined the Company in May 2005. He was previously Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Level 3 Communications. Prior to that, Mr. Gallagher held a number of financial positions during eight years at BP Amoco Corporation and nearly five years at WilTel Communications.

Mr. Gallagher has a B.S.E. from Princeton University, an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an M.S. in Financial Mathematics from the University of Chicago.


David BrownDavid A. Brown
Chief Operating Officer

David A. Brown was appointed Chief Operating Officer in October 2012. He joined G&W in June 2012 to succeed James W. Benz. From 2010 to early 2012, Mr. Brown was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of CSX Transportation. He was Chief Transportation Officer for CSX from 2006 to 2010 and, prior to that, served 25 years with Norfolk Southern in roles ranging from strategic planning to the integration of the Conrail acquisition.

Mr. Brown earned a B.S. from the University of Tennessee and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.


Allison M. Fergus photo Allison M. Fergus
General Counsel
and Secretary

Allison M. Fergus was appointed General Counsel and Secretary in October 2006. She joined G&W in November 2005 as Senior Counsel. Ms. Fergus was previously an associate at Shearman & Sterling LLP in New York, where she practiced in the capital markets group. Prior to that, she worked in the treasury group of Omnicom Group Inc. and at JPMorgan Chase, formerly Chase Manhattan Bank.

Ms. Fergus earned a B.S. in finance and international business from Georgetown University and her juris doctorate degree from Fordham University School of Law.


Christopher F. Liucci photo Christopher F. Liucci
Chief Accounting Officer
and Global Controller

Christopher F. Liucci joined G&W as Chief Accounting Officer and Global Controller in March 2006. He was previously Director of Global Financial Planning and Reporting and Controller of Financial Reporting/Internal Controls during more than eight years with Genencor International, Inc. Prior to that, Mr. Liucci was an Audit Manager with Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. (a predecessor to PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P.), where he was an independent auditor for six years.

Mr. Liucci is a C.P.A. and has a B.S. in accounting from the State University of New York at Geneseo and an M.B.A. from The Simon School of the University of Rochester.


Senior Executives

Mark W. Hastings photo Mark W. Hastings
Executive Vice President
International Business Development

Mark Hastings has been Executive Vice President since January 2000. Prior to that he served as Secretary, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since he joined the Company in 1978. Before his career with G&W, Mr. Hastings was Manager Commercial Credit Department for Marine Midland Bank (now HSBC Bank USA). He served on the Board of the Railroad Clearinghouse, which was established to create the administrative systems and banking functions for electronic settlement of all rail industry interline freight systems.

Mr. Hastings earned his undergraduate degree at Trinity College and his M.B.A. at Rochester Institute of Technology.


Mario Brault photoMario Brault
Senior Vice President
Canada Region

Mario Brault, Senior Vice President of the Canada Region, is the President of Genesee & Wyoming Canada Inc., the Canadian subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. He joined the company in September 2000 as Vice President-Operations after a 22-year career with Canadian National Railroad. While at CN, he held positions in Transportation Planning, Commuter Services, Intermodal and Operations, both at CN headquarters and at various locations in the Eastern Canada Division.

Mr. Brault obtained a B.Sc.A (Civil Engineering) from Universite de Sherbrooke in 1978. He is a professional engineer and is a member of the Order of Engineers of Quebec and of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association.


A. Chunko photoAndrew T. Chunko
Senior Vice President
Customer Service

Andrew T. Chunko was appointed Senior Vice President of Customer Service in January 2013. He was previously Senior Vice President of G&W's Mountain West Region since June 2009 and Vice President of G&W’s Rail Link Region, where he was responsible for a combination of short line railroads and port operations. Mr. Chunko joined G&W in 2002 with the acquisition of the York Railway, where he served as operations manager. Prior to that, he held a variety of management positions with CSX Transportation, Inc.

Mr. Chunko earned a B.S. in business, management and economics from Empire State College.


David J. Collins photo David J. Collins
Senior Vice President
Business Technology

David J. Collins was appointed Senior Vice President of Business Technology in July 2011. He previously served as Senior Vice President of the former New York/Ohio/Pennsylvania Region since 2008 and continues to serve as President of the Ohio Central Railroad. He was Senior Vice President of the New York/Pennsylvania Region from 1998-2008. Prior to that, Mr. Collins held a variety of management positions since joining G&WI in 1979.

Mr. Collins earned his undergraduate degree from Oral Roberts University and his M.B.A. from the Simon School at the University of Rochester in 1988.


undefinedRaymond A. Goss
Senior Vice President
Northeast Region

Ray Goss was appointed Senior Vice President of G&W's Northeast Region in January 2013. He previously was Senior Vice President of the New York/Pennsylvania Region since October 2008. He joined G&W in 2003 as General Manager of the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad. He previously held numerous railroad management positions over his 30 year career, including VP Operations and Maintenance for the BAR System, Division Engineer Boston for Amtrak, Assistant Chief Engineer Delaware & Hudson RR, as well as positions with CP Rail in both the U.S. and Canada.

Mr. Goss completed the Wharton School of Business Executive Development Program in 1996.


James E. Irvin
Senior Vice President
Rail Link Region

James E. Irvin was appointed Senior Vice President of the Rail Link Region in April 2013. He held the same position with G&W's former Oregion Region from 2011 to 2013, and had most recently been on assignment with G&W Australia as Vice President of New Business Operations. Mr. Irvin was previously Vice President, Industrial Switching for the Rail Link Region and has nearly 30 years of railroad experience. Prior to joining G&W in 2008, he held a variety of management positions with CSX Transportation, most recently as General Manager, Network Operations.

Mr. Irvin earned his B.S. in transportation from the University of Alabama.


Bill Jasper photo Bill Jasper
Senior Vice President
Southern Region

Bill Jasper was appointed Senior Vice President of the Southern Region in April 2013. From 2007 to 2013, he held the same position with the Rail Link Region. He previously served as Vice President, Operations Services, of Rail Link since 1997. Mr. Jasper has nearly 30 years in the railroad industry and joined Rail Link, Inc., in 1989 as an Operations Manager and then a General Manager prior to its acquisition by G&W. He began his career as a Switchman with the Seaboard Coastline Railroad and was Assistant Trainmaster and Terminal Trainmaster at CSX Transportation.

Mr. Jasper is a C.P.A. and earned a B.S. in accounting from Virginia Commonwealth University.


Scott Linn
Senior Vice President
Engineering

Scott Linn was named Senior Vice President of Engineering in January 2013. He was previously a Regional Vice President of the South East Region at RailAmerica, which he joined in 2000. Prior to that, Mr. Linn spent more than 17 years with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company, where he began as a Corporate Management Trainee, and held various engineering and operating positions, with his last as Division Engineer in Galesburg, Illinois.

Mr. Linn earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Montana State University.


Tony Long photoTony D. Long
Senior Vice President
Operations Support

Tony D. Long was appointed Senior Vice President, Operations Support in November 2008, with responsibility for customer service, car management and motive power. He joined G&W in March 2005 as Vice President, Customer Service and was named Vice President, Customer Service and Car Management in January 2007. Previously, Mr. Long spent 25 years with CSX Transportation in a variety of roles in operations, customer service, technology and car management.

Mr. Long earned a B.S. in business administration from Lincoln Memorial University and is a certified Six Sigma "Master Blackbelt."


undefinedCharles E. McBride
Senior Vice President
Ohio Valley Region

Chuck McBride was appointed Senior Vice President of G&W's Ohio Valley Region in January 2013. He previously was Senior Vice President of the Ohio Region since July 2008. He was previously Vice President of the Southen Region since 2005 and joined GWI in 2004 as General Manager of the Arkansas, Louisiana & Mississippi Railroad and the Fordyce & Princeton Railroad. Prior to G&W, Mr. McBride spent 26 years with CSX Transportation in a variety of management positions, most recently as head of its largest operating division.
 

J. Bradley Ovitt
Senior Vice President
Mountain West Region

J. Bradley Ovitt was named Senior Vice President of G&W’s Mountain West Region in January 2013. He began his railroad career in 1987 on the former Central Vermont Railroad and went on to hold several positions of increasing responsibility, most recently as  Regional Vice President of RailAmerica’s Northeast Region.

Mr. Ovitt studied Criminal Justice at Castleton State College and earned four certificates in business from the University of Notre Dame on-line.


Greg Pauline
Managing Director
Australia Region

Greg Pauline assumed leadership of Genesee & Wyoming Australia Pty Ltd in March 2013. He joined the Company from Lend Lease Group, where he was Executive Director of Development and Corporate Affairs of its Infrastructure Services business. Mr. Pauline worked in senior roles with three major Australian corporations, including Transfield and Downer EDI, and also at Bilfinger Berger India.

Mr. Pauline holds a degree in Civil Engineering from Sydney University.

 
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Arnoud de Rade
Managing Director
Netherlands Region

Arnoud de Rade was appointed Managing Director of G&W's Netherlands Region in January 2010. He joined Rotterdam Rail Feeding in October 2006 as Director of Sales and Operations. Mr. de Rade previously held management positions with rail companies Shortlines and Rail4Chem in Rotterdam and, before that, various positions with 3PL in the intermodal container business.

Mr. de Rade is a graduate of the Rotterdam School of Economics.

 
Ryan Ratledge
Senior Vice President
Operations

Ryan Ratledge was named Senior Vice President of Operations in January 2013.  He was previously a Regional Vice President at RailAmerica, which he joined in 2007 as a General Manager. From 1994 to 2007, Mr. Ratledge held several positions with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company, most recently as a Terminal Superintendent.

Mr. Ratledge studied at Eastern New Mexico University.
 

Richard J. Regan Jr.
Senior Vice President
Mechanical

Richard J. Regan Jr. was named Senior Vice President, Mechanical in October 2012, with global responsibility for the Company's mechanical functions, including locomotives and rolling stock. Mr. Regan joined G&W in 2008 as Vice President, Transportation for the Southern Region. Previously, he spent 34 years at CSX/Conrail in several positions, including Vice President, Mechanical and Managing Director, Material Assets.
 

Ray E. Stephens
Senior Vice President
Central Region

Ray E. Stephens was named Senior Vice President of G&W’s Central Region in January 2013. He previously worked at RailAmerica, starting in 2005 as Vice President, Service Design, and later as a Regional Vice President. Previously, Mr. Stephens held several executive positions with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company, most recently as an Assistant Vice President of operations.

Mr. Stephens earned an undergraduate degree in Administrative Management from the University of Missouri-Columbia.


Matthew O. Walsh photo Matthew O. Walsh
Senior Vice President
Corporate Development

Matthew O. Walsh, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, joined G&W in September 2001. From 1996-2001, Mr. Walsh was an investment banker at Salomon Smith Barney, Inc. and Schroder and Co., Inc. both in New York and London. He serves on the Board of the Railroad Clearinghouse, which was established to create the administrative systems and banking functions for electronic settlement of all rail industry interline freight systems.

Mr. Walsh is a graduate of Princeton University.


Spencer D. White photo Spencer D. White
Senior Vice President
Midwest Region

Spencer D. White was named Senior Vice President of G&W's Midwest Region in January 2013. He previously was Senior Vice President of the Illinois Region and President and General Manager of Illinois & Midland Railroad, Inc. He joined the Company in 1988 as Chief Engineer of Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad, Inc., after serving in progressive engineering positions with CSX Transportation since 1982. Mr. White has served G&W as Vice President of Operations for Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad, Inc., and Chief Engineer of the New York/Pennsylvania Region and Allegheny & Eastern Railroad, Inc.

Mr. White holds a B.S. in civil engineering from Pennsylvania State University.


James W. Benz photo James W. Benz
Chief Integration Officer

James W. Benz has postponed his planned retirement to lead the integraton of RailAmerica. Mr. Benz served as G&W's Chief Operating Officer from May 2005 until October 2012. He was Senior Vice President, G&W Rail Switching Services, from March 1997 through April 2005. He was previously President of Rail Link, Inc., which he founded in 1987 and which was acquired by G&W in November 1996. Mr. Benz worked in various transportation supervisory capacities on the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad and CSX Transportation from 1972 to 1987.

Mr. Benz is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and also completed Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program in 2006.


Matthew C. Brush photo Matthew C. Brush
Chief Human Resource Officer

Matthew C. Brush joined G&W as Chief Human Resource Officer in March 2007. He previously led human resources for several global businesses at Corning, Inc. He has more than 15 years of technical and leadership experience in human resources at medium and large companies including union and non-union manufacturing, restaurant, biotech and insurance firms.

Mr. Brush holds a B.A. in psychology from the University of Connecticut and an M.I.L.R. degree from Cornell University.


undefinedMichael O. Miller
Chief Commercial Officer
North America

Michael O. Miller joined G&W as Chief Commercial Officer, North America, in September 2010. He was most recently General Manager of Norfolk Southern's Modalgistics Supply Chain Solutions, where he improved customers' supply chain efficiencies through rail, transload and intermodal service, and was previously Vice President Strategic Development for Derivion Corp. Prior to that, he held logistics-related positions with Georgia-Pacific and Roadway Express.

Mr. Miller holds a B.S. in industrial engineering and an M.S. in business management from North Carolina State University.
 

undefinedNiels Hansen
Vice President
Employee and Labor Relations

Niels Hansen joined G&W as Vice President of Employee and Labor Relations in September 2008. He was previously Director, Labor Relations and Labor Counsel for Rite Aid drug stores and has more than 25 years' experience in employee relations and labor law.

Mr. Hansen holds a B.S. in political science and a J.D. from Wayne State University.


T. James photo
Tyrone C. James
Vice President
Safety and Compliance

Tyrone C. James was appointed Vice President, Safety and Compliance in May 2007. He previously served as Vice President, Transportation of G&W's Oregon Region. Mr. James joined the company in 2005 and has more than 30 years of railroad experience. He held positions of Terminal Superintendent, General Manager of Safety, Division Superintendent, and General Director of Transportation Development at CSX Transportation.


undefinedMichael F. Lundell
Vice President
Compliance and Safety
 
Michael F. Lundell was appointed Vice President of Compliance and Safety in September 2011. He has more than 30 years of railroad experience and has served as Vice President of Transportation for G&W's Oregon Region, Director of Safety and Training for the Oregon Region and Chief Safety Officer of G&W's Australia Region. He joined G&W in 2002 with the acquisition of the Utah Railway, where he was Terminal Manager.


Mike Meyers photo Mike Meyers
Vice President
Information Technology

Mike Meyers has been Vice President of Information Technology since September 2000. Prior to that, he held positions within the semiconductor and manufacturing sectors, and provided consulting services to various organizations including IBM, Eastman Kodak and the United States Coast Guard. He is a member of the Rochester Business Alliance and the CIO Roundtable.

Mr. Meyers is a graduate of the University of Maine and earned his M.B.A. from the University of Rhode Island.


Richard T. O Richard T. O'Donnell
Vice President
Tax

Richard T. O’Donnell joined G&W as Vice President - Taxes in September 2002. Previously he was with Bausch & Lomb where he served since 1998 as a corporate tax director. He has 25 years of domestic and international tax and accounting experience, including seven years in public accounting, seven years in the medical/consumer goods manufacturing industry with Bausch & Lomb and Sybron Corporation in Rochester, New York, and nine years in the publishing industry with Harcourt General in both Boston and Orlando. His international experience includes all of the Americas, the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe.

Mr. O’Donnell is a C.P.A. who received a B.S. in Accounting from Syracuse University.


David L. Powell photo David L. Powell
Vice President
Motive Power

David Powell was appointed Vice President - Motive Power in January 2005. David has more than 40 years of railroad experience and previously held VP/Chief Mechanical Officer positions with Ferrocarrill del Pacifico SA (FEPASA) in Santiago, Chile, the Nuevo Central Argentino in Rosario, Argentina, as well as with the Delaware & Hudson and New York, Susquehanna and Western railroads in the U.S. He began his career working for the Lehigh Valley Railroad and Conrail, and as Vice President with the National Railway Equipment Company.


Thomas D. Savage
Vice President
Corporate Development and Treasurer

Thomas D. Savage, Vice President, Corporate Development and Treasurer, joined the Company in March 2005. Since joining G&W, Mr. Savage has been focused on mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. Since January 2012, he has also been responsible for G&W's treasury functions while continuing to focus on corporate development initiatives. Prior to joining G&W, Mr. Savage worked at a boutique investment bank focused on real estate investments.

He earned a B.S. in economics from Colby College and an MBA from New York University's Stern School of Business.


Jerry E. Vest photo Jerry E. Vest
Vice President
Government & Industry Affairs

Jerry Vest joined G&W as Vice President, Government & Industry Affairs in July 2005. Prior to joining the company, he worked in the rail freight industry for 20 years, in marketing, sales, customer service, strategic planning, operating, and development positions. Mr. Vest worked for three Class I carriers, Conrail, CSX and CN, and was Vice President and General Manager at Great Lakes Transportation where he was responsible for the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad and Pittsburgh & Conneaut Dock company.

Mr. Vest graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Business Administration and earned his M.B.A. from Indiana University.


Michael E. Williams photo Michael E. Williams
Director of Corporate Communications

Michael E. Williams joined G&W in November 2006. He has broad communications management experience, including nine years in the chemical industry. Mr. Williams was previously responsible for brand and marketing communications at BASF Catalysts LLC (formerly Engelhard Corporation), a division of the BASF Group. Prior to that, he held marketing and communications positions at Union Carbide Corporation and Todd Combustion Inc. after beginning his career as an advertising and public relations account executive.

Mr. Williams earned a B.S. in public relations and journalism from Utica College of Syracuse University.