OMAHA, Neb., Oct. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Union Pacific today
announced Jim Vena, chief operating
officer, will move to a new role at the end of this year. The
company also announced Eric
Gehringer will succeed Vena as executive vice
president-Operations, effective Jan. 1,
2021, while Vena will remain employed at the company as
senior advisor through June 2021.
Vena, 62, joined Union Pacific in January
2019 to lead all aspects of the railroad's operations,
including Unified Plan 2020 implementation.
"Jim's contributions to Union Pacific over the last two years
have been tremendous," said Chairman, President and CEO
Lance Fritz. "He helped our team
achieve efficiency savings of over $1
billion and deliver the best service product in the
company's history. Jim's time at the helm of our Operations has
positioned Union Pacific well for 2021 and beyond."
As Vena steps into the senior advisor role, he will be spending
time in the field facilitating the complete transition of his
Operating duties to Gehringer and Union Pacific's Operating team,
while also focusing on achieving the strategic efficiency plans for
2021 and beyond. He will continue to report to the chairman and
participate in board discussions.
Gehringer will become executive vice president-Operations on
Jan. 1, and will lead all of Union
Pacific's Operating functions. Gehringer has served in many
capacities throughout his 15-year career at Union Pacific. Starting
in Engineering, Eric rose through the ranks to ultimately head the
Engineering and Mechanical department prior to serving in his
current role as senior vice president- Transportation.
"Throughout his career, Eric has used innovation and astute
business acumen to solve problems on the railroad," Fritz said.
"His proven ability to build teams and get results across all
business metrics will serve us well."
A graduate of St. Louis University
with a degree in aerospace engineering, Gehringer received a Master
of Business Administration degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Vena, who came to Union Pacific following a long railroad
career, said, "I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to
drive change over the last two years at Union Pacific. We made
terrific progress toward being the safest, most reliable and most
efficient railroad in North
America, and I am very proud of our accomplishments. The
team has been great to work with, and I am confident Eric is well
positioned to drive further gains in 2021 and beyond."
ABOUT UNION PACIFIC
Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) delivers the goods families and
businesses use every day with safe, reliable and efficient service.
Operating in 23 western states, the company connects its customers
and communities to the global economy. Trains are the most
environmentally responsible way to move freight, helping Union
Pacific protect future generations. More information about Union
Pacific is available at www.up.com.
www.up.com
www.facebook.com/unionpacific
www.twitter.com/unionpacific
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SOURCE Union Pacific Corporation