CN announced the appointments of Patrick Whitehead as executive vice president and chief operating officer, and Janet Drysdale as executive vice president and chief commercial officer, effective immediately.
Whitehead’s appointment follows the departure of Derek Taylor from the Company.
“Janet and Pat are key drivers of CN’s efforts to achieve new levels of operational, commercial and customer service excellence. Their proven cross-functional leadership is instrumental in delivering value for our shareholders and customers. I look forward to working closely with them,” said Tracy Robinson, President and Chief Executive Officer at CN. “I thank Derek for his contributions to the Company and wish him the best in the future.”
Whitehead, 50, is an accomplished executive with over 30 years of railroad experience, over 25 of which have been in management positions in Transportation and Mechanical operations. Whitehead was appointed executive vice president and chief network operating officer in October 2023.
He holds a Master of Science degree in Transportation Management from the University of Denver and has completed the Wharton School of Business’ Advanced Management and Corporate Governance programs. Whitehead will be based in Montreal and has been taking French classes since 2023.
Drysdale, 53, spent the first decade of her nearly 30-year career at CN in a variety of roles in Sales and Marketing. She is a seasoned and versatile leader with significant cross-functional experience having held executive positions at CN in Investor Relations, Finance, Corporate/Business Development, Sustainability, and serving as chief commercial officer on an interim basis since July 2025.
Prior to that, she was CN’s chief stakeholder relations officer. Bilingual and based in Montreal since 1997, Drysdale holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from Queen’s University and an MBA from McGill University.
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