Orr replaces Paul Duncan, who had been Norfolk Southern’s COO for a little more than a year, joining the company from BNSF Railway.
In a written statement, CEO Alan Shaw thanked Duncan “for the leadership, passion, and dedication he brought to Norfolk Southern throughout his tenure. His contributions were instrumental in enhancing our safety culture and improving our service product. On behalf of the management team, I wish Paul all the best in his future endeavors.”
The move comes after Ancora Holdings Group, an Ohio-based activist investment firm, pushed for former UPS Chief Operating Officer Jim Barber to replace Shaw, and for former CSX executive Jamie Boychuk to be named COO.
Ancora said change was needed to turn Norfolk Southern into “a safer, more sustainable railroad that is growing profitably while also yielding more stability for customers and employees.” The railroad has faced harsh scrutiny since the derailment of its train carrying hazardous materials in East Palestine, Ohio, more than a year ago.
Norfolk Southern’s independent board chair Amy Miles said Shaw and the board “took decisive action in recruiting John (Orr), an exceptional talent who will help accelerate the execution of our strategy and deliver results for our shareholders.”
Orr spent much of his career at Canadian National Railway, where he started out as a conductor and rose to chief transportation officer in 2018, before departing the company the following year. He was also a union representative for 15 years.
“I am excited to work with the full leadership team and the company’s dedicated craft railroaders to enhance operating performance and strengthen Norfolk Southern’s industry leadership for years to come,” Orr said in a written statement.
At CPKC, Orr remediated the railroad’s Mexican operations by implementing a “high-efficiency operating model,” according to Norfolk Southern. Orr is also known as an expert in precision scheduled railroading, a system to…
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