Executives & Operational Leadership

Jack Hellmann

Jack Hellmann became Executive Chairman in September 2023 after 16 years as Chief Executive Officer. Since joining the company in 2000, G&W has grown from 21 short line and regional railroads in the U.S. and Canada to more than 100 freight rail operations internationally. In addition to CEO, he has served as Chairman, President and Chief Financial Officer.

Jack was named Railroader of the Year by Railway Age magazine in 2018, Railroad Innovator by Progressive Railroading magazine in 2017 and to the All America Team of Best CEOs by Institutional Investor in both 2014 and 2017.

He received an A.B. from Princeton University, an MBA from The Wharton School and an M.A. from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) with a concentration in China Studies.

Michael Miller

Michael Miller is CEO for G&W’s North American operations, ensuring safe and efficient service for customers in 43 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces. He previously served as G&W’s Chief Commercial Officer for eight years and President of G&W’s North American operations for five years.

Prior to joining G&W in 2010, Michael was General Manager of Norfolk Southern’s Modalgistics Supply Chain Solutions, where he improved customers’ supply chain efficiencies through rail, transload and intermodal service as well as Vice President of Strategic Development for Derivion. He also held logistics-related positions at Georgia-Pacific and Roadway Express.

Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a master’s degree in business management from North Carolina State University.

Thomas Savage

Thomas Savage is G&W’s Chief Financial Officer, responsible for the company’s overall accounting, financial planning & analysis, tax and treasury functions. He previously was the company’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Treasurer, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions as well as corporate finance and was responsible for G&W’s global treasury functions.

Prior to joining G&W in 2005, Thomas worked at a boutique investment bank focused on real estate investments.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Colby College and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Allison Fergus

Allison Fergus serves as General Counsel and Secretary since 2006, responsible for legal and regulatory compliance, claims & litigation, and contract management. She previously was Senior Counsel for the Company.

Prior to G&W, Allison practiced in the capital markets group at Shearman & Sterling LLP in New York and worked in the treasury group of Omnicom Group Inc. and at JPMorgan Chase (formerly Chase Manhattan Bank).

Allison holds an undergraduate degree from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and law degree from Fordham University School of Law.

Matt Walsh

Matt Walsh oversees business development at G&W and currently serves as Executive Vice President of Global Corporate Development, supporting the Company in all major capital projects, including acquisitions, divestitures, leases and contracts. In addition to his business development roles, Matt also acted as Treasurer of G&W from 2006-2012.

Prior to joining G&W in 2001, Matt was an investment banker at Salomon Smith Barney, Inc., and Schroder and Co., Inc., both in New York and London.

He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association and previously served as Chair of the Short Line Safety Institute and as a member of the Board of the Railroad Clearinghouse.

Matt is a graduate of Princeton University.

Mike Peters

Mike Peters serves as Chief Customer Officer for G&W’s North American operations, primarily responsible for providing an enhanced customer experience as well as developing long-term market strategies across our operations. He previously served as G&W’s Chief Commercial Officer and Senior Vice President of Real Estate and Industrial Development.

Mike has held supply chain-related positions for more than 30 years, at multinational firms including, ProLogis, Caterpillar and Mercer Management Consulting.

Mike earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Kansas and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Kimberley MacMillan

Kimberley MacMillan is Chief Human Resource Officer for G&W’s North American operations. She previously served as Vice President of Human Resources and Regional Director of Human Resources.

Kimberley brought more than 30 years of HR experience when she joined G&W in 2015, including a role as Vice President of Human Resources for The Broe Group/OmniTRAX as well as HR roles at Praxair and the baked goods division of Kraft Foods.

Kimberley earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Virginia Tech.

Tianbing Qian

Tianbing Qian (“TQ”) has served as G&W’s Chief Information Officer since 2019, responsible for leveraging information technology, data analytics and cybersecurity to enhance G&W’s customer experience, operational excellence, employee productivity and overall growth.

TQ was previously Senior Vice President/Chief Digital Information Officer for Ports America, where he modernized IT platforms across terminal operations, safety, equipment management and workforce management. Prior to that, he held senior IT management positions with Celestica International and Freescale Semiconductor.

TQ earned a bachelor’s degree in control engineering from Huazhong University of Science & Technology and two master’s degrees – one in systems engineering from Shanghai Jiaotong University and another in computer science from the University of Iowa – as well as a Ph.D. in operations management from the University of Iowa.

Andy Chunko

Andy Chunko serves as Senior Vice President of Operations Support, responsible for safety & compliance and service design as well as G&W’s North American engineering and mechanical functions. He previously oversaw several former G&W operating regions and the company’s customer service department.

Prior to joining G&W in 2002, Andy was operations manager for a short line railroad in Pennsylvania and held a variety of management positions with CSX.

Andy earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and economics from Empire State College.

Sarah Greene

Sarah Greene is Senior Vice President and Controller at G&W, responsible for providing accurate and timely financial information to all G&W’s stakeholders while ensuring the maintenance of proper controls over financial reporting. She previously served as Controller of Financial Reporting & Analysis as well as Vice President and Corporate Controller.

Prior to G&W, Sarah held a variety of accounting roles at First Union National Bank, Eastman Kodak and PAETEC Communications. She began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Sarah is a Certified Public Accountant and earned both her bachelor’s degree in professional accounting as well as an MBA from Michigan State University.

Marty Pohlod

Marty Pohlod was named Senior Vice President of G&W Corporate Commercial in February 2020. He previously led G&W’s former Midwest Region railroads since 2017. He joined G&W in 2008 as Marketing Manager with the acquisition of the Ohio Central Railroad System, where he had been since 1996, and thereafter served in roles of increasing responsibility. Mr. Pohlod began his railroad career in marketing and sales roles at the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway and Southern Pacific Railroad.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in transportation and logistics management from Kent State University.

Jerry Vest

Jerry Vest has overseen government and industry relations at G&W since 2005 and currently serves as Senior Vice President of Government & Industry Affairs.

Jerry’s railroad career includes marketing, sales, customer service, strategic planning, operating and development roles at three Class I carriers – Conrail, CSX and CN. He was also Vice President and General Manager at Great Lakes Transportation, responsible for the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad and Pittsburgh & Conneaut Dock company.

Jerry graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and earned his MBA from Indiana University.

Tom Ciuba

Tom Ciuba was appointed Vice President of Communications in 2021 after seven years with G&W.

Prior to G&W, Tom held communications and public relations roles at global specialty chemical company Chemtura and the Connecticut Bar Association after beginning his career at a public relations agency serving clients in the food and housewares industries.

Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Seton Hall University and a master’s degree in business administration from Western Governors University.

Jim Irvin

Jim Irvin is Senior Vice President of G&W’s American Region railroads. Throughout his 15 years with the company, he has also led several other former G&W operating regions, overseen its industrial switching operations and was Vice President of New Business Operations for its former Australia Region.

Prior to joining G&W, Jim, who has nearly 30 years of railroad experience, held a variety of management positions with CSX.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in transportation from the University of Alabama.

Brad Ovitt

Brad Ovitt is Senior Vice President of G&W’s National Region railroads. Throughout his decade-long tenure with G&W, he has led several former operating regions.

Brad began his railroad career in 1987 as a signalman on the former Central Vermont Railroad and went on to hold several positions of increasing responsibility with the railroad and its succeeding owners.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Castleton State College and has earned four certificates in business from the University of Notre Dame.

Rick McLellan

Rick McLellan has served as President of Genesee & Wyoming Canada Inc. since 2020. In his decade with G&W, he has also served as General Manager for two G&W short line railroads in Canada as well as Vice President of Canadian Operations.

Rick began his rail career as a conductor with Canadian Pacific in 1983.

Tim Shoveller

Tim Shoveller became CEO of G&W UK/Europe Region in 2023.

He was previously Managing Director of Network Rail’s North West and Central Region since 2019. Previously, Tim worked at Stagecoach, where he was MD of the rail division and MD of South West Trains. Earlier in his career, he was MD at East Midlands Trains from the start of the franchise and held senior roles at Virgin Trains and Eurostar.

Will Wright

Will Wright became Chief Financial Officer of G&W UK/Europe Region companies in 2021.

Will was previously Global Finance Director for a division of Amcor, a global leader in packaging solutions. He also held roles in M&A and integration, operational controlling and business finance at Amcor. Will began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Australia.

Andrew Daly

Andrew Daly joined G&W’s UK/Europe Region as Chief Commercial Officer in 2021.

During his early career, Andrew gained broad business understanding with Ford and GE in a variety of roles before joining Unipart Group in 2004 as Marketing Director for their Mechanical Repair Division. He subsequently joined Kion in 2007 to lead one of their UK businesses – Linde Material Handling – where he was responsible for Business Sales and Services for the UK.

Shaun Allen

Shaun Allen was named Managing Director – Road Services of G&W’s UK/Europe Region companies in 2018. Since 2012, he had previously managed G&W’s Pentalver operations and also led the company’s road services function.

He began his logistics career in 1993 as depot manager for W. Carter (Haulage) Ltd and was appointed managing director in 2003. W. Carter was acquired by Wincanton PLC, another logistics services leader, in 2008, and Shaun joined Wincanton’s management team for four years before coming to Pentalver.

Chris Lawrenson

Chris Lawrenson was named Managing Director – Terminal Services for G&W’s UK/Europe Region companies in 2018. Previously, he had served as Managing Director of G&W’s Pentalver since 2010.

Prior to that, he held numerous roles within the Maersk group for 29 years, starting as a clerk in the liner shipping division and progressively working up to senior operational roles.

Blake Jones

Blake Jones joined G&W’s UK/Europe Region in 2021 after serving within G&W’s North American operations since 2012. He has a long history in rail operations, having joined Union Pacific Railroad as a conductor before subsequently joining RailAmerica, where he held several roles including General Manager. Since G&W’s acquisition of RailAmerica in 2012, Blake has held a number of roles, including Vice President of Transportation, General Manager, Assistant Vice President of Operations and, most recently, Vice President of Operations.

Glynis Appelbe

Glynis Appelbe joined G&W UK/Europe Region companies in 2016 as HR Director.

Prior to G&W, she was the Head of HR for a FTSE-listed global diversified mining company, Eurasian Natural Resources PLC, spanning Europe, South America, Africa and Kazakhstan. Before that, she spent 16 years working in financial services environments in subsidiaries of Barclays, ABN Amro and Hitachi Capital.

Glynis earned a business degree from University of Limerick in Ireland and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development.

Louise Ward

Louise Ward is an experienced HSEQ Leader with over 25 years’ experience. A Chartered Health and Safety Practitioner, her career has spanned a range of business sectors and high risk environments with companies including British Nuclear Fuels, News International, BP, JP MorganChase, the Engineering Employers Federation, the MoD, Network Rail, Thames Water, the British Safety Council and Siemens.

Gideon Rutherford

Gideon Rutherford joined G&W’s UK/Europe Region in 2022.

He has over 20 years’ experience in both operational and consulting roles in blue chip businesses, including ExxonMobil, Deloitte, and Booz & Co. Mr. Rutherford’s sector expertise includes energy, infrastructure and intermodal logistics.