Canadian Pacific Kansas City announced the departure of John Orr, executive vice president and chief transformation officer, effective immediately. He joined Norfolk Southern Corp. as executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Orr has earned a reputation as a proven leader applying scheduled railroading principles to drive sustainable long-term value creation. He spearheaded the turnaround of CPKC’s Mexico operations by successfully implementing a high-efficiency operating model, shaped and guided the execution of Kansas City Southern’s service-focused scheduled railroading initiatives, and significantly improved Canadian National Railway’s safety and operational performance.
Orr will oversee Norfolk Southern’s railway operations, including safety, transportation, network planning and operations, engineering, and equipment maintenance. He began his career as a craft railroader and served as a union representative for 15 years and held various positions during his tenure at CN, including chief safety and sustainability officer.
He will report directly to Norfolk Southern president and chief executive officer Alan H. Shaw.
“I have had the pleasure to serve and lead with John directly or indirectly for over the last two decades. His strong operating acumen and leadership capabilities has enabled him to build a strong team currently leading our CPKC Mexico Operations,” CPKC President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Creel said in an announcement. “As a result, the team is ready to take the reins and continue to build on the operational momentum generated since this historic combination took place last April. As leaders we are charged to leave our organizations better – John has undoubtedly impacted Kansas City Southern (KCS) and CPKC in a positive way, for which we are grateful.”
