OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Railroad has named Bernardo Ayala vice president, Mexico markets, and John Newman assistant vice president of the company’s newly formed network and industrial development group, respectively.Union Pacific is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico. The railroad delivers value to its customers by working to ensure seamless international border service and efficient operations between Union Pacific and connecting railroads in Mexico. Union Pacific’s International Customer Service Center processes and monitors customer shipments and trains, and assists customers through a bilingual call center.
Ayala is responsible for the strategic and tactical management of the company’s marketing operations in Mexico including sales and customer support based throughout the United States and Mexico. He holds a law degree from Universidad Iberoamericana and a master’s in Law and Certificate in Business Administration from Northwestern University School of Law and Kellogg School of Management. He joined Union Pacific through the company’s management development program and previously held positions in the Premium Operations and Transportation departments, western region.
Ayala has worked for the former National Railways of Mexico and Ferromex, one of Mexico’s most important railroad concessionaries. He succeeds Drew Collier, who retired at the end of April after 30 years of service with Western Pacific and Union Pacific.
The railroad’s new network and industrial development group aligns with its three operating regions to integrate business growth and development on Union Pacific rail lines, short line connections and the ports. The group also encompasses interline marketing, which is responsible for commercial analyses of rail restructuring and changes in the industry’s regulatory environment, as well as Union Pacific’s Class I railroad relationships.
Newman is responsible for interline customer relationships, industrial development and commercial relationships with the many Union Pacific-served ports. He has held various finance and marketing & sales posts since joining Union Pacific in 1991, most recently serving as executive director – interline. Newman holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan School of Engineering and an MBA, also from Michigan.
