JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation on Thursday named former Ford Motor Co. executive Joseph R. Hinrichs as its next chief executive officer.
Hinrichs, 55, will succeed CEO Jim Foote, who will retire on Sept. 26.
Hinrichs has more than 30 years’ experience in the global automotive, manufacturing, and energy sectors, previously serving as president of Ford’s automotive business. In that role, he led the company’s $160-billion global automotive operations.
“This appointment is the result of a long and deliberate process, in which we identified the strongest candidate to lead CSX through its next phase of growth and transformation,” CSX Chairman John Zillmer said in a statement. “Jim has been at the helm throughout most of the company’s transformation, producing record operating and financial results, focusing on sustainability, and emphasizing the importance of safety. We cannot thank him enough for his contributions to CSX, and his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition.”
Foote praised Hinrichs and said his manufacturing experience will benefit the railroad.
“Joe’s great strength is operational excellence,” Foote said in a statement. “He enabled Ford to execute world-class manufacturing on a global scale, including prioritizing exceptional customer service. In addition to leading complex businesses over his 30-year career, he has proven that he understands how to prioritize safety and efficiency in an industry with dynamics that are similar to those we are navigating today in rail.”
Hinrichs said he will continue CSX’s focus on growth, technology, and improving the company’s culture.
“My focus on day one will be to continue to execute on the strategy the team has identified: leveraging CSX’s proven operating model as a leader in the railroad industry, to drive growth through innovation, harness transformative technology, and build a one-team workforce through an engaging and inclusive culture,” Hinrichs said in a statement.
Hinrichs left Ford in 2020. Foote will stay on as an advisor for six months.
Time will tell if Mr. Hinrichs is able to rurn CSX around, but lack of railroad management experience isn’t necessarily a negative factor.
Remember, E. Hunter Harrison was an experienced railroader, but his reign was disastrous for the industry.
Excellent point Mr. Turcotte. So far you appear to be the only one with any brains responding. As far as I can tell virtually all of the Class One senior management (and most of the middle managers as well) are career railroaders. (Talk about inbreeding.) Given the state of the industry does anyone seriously suggest selecting any one of them. The one exception here might be Keith Creel at Canadian Pacific (whom I know personally). Wick Moorman was willing to come out of retirement to run Amtrak for a while but doubt he wants the job. He is living very comfortably his Virgina farm. Having a railroad CEO job takes a lot out of a person and why leave a very, very comfortable retirement to get back into a food fight. Mr. Hinrichs has three things in his favor. First, he has run a large cooperation. Second, he has dealt with a unionized workforce. Third, he ran a publicly traded company. And as a bonus he has more than a little experience dealing with railroads.
So CSX hires someone with NO railroad experience – Great decision that has been the problem since CEO Michael Ward retired! CSX upper management knows nothing about how to grow a business, they have spent their time boosting stock prices, falsifing reports and destroying company infrastructure to make profits.
Huh? E.V.P. Trans. and CEO all in the same newswire? Which is he? Oh, good, he has 10 days to learn all about railroading. What a joke!
More silly nonsense from the ignorant and uniformed. Ford Motor is one of the tops ten customers in the rail industry. I can tell you from personal experience the Class Ones go out of their way to build serious professional relationships with C-Suite executives like Mr. Hinrichs. In his professional life at Ford, he was probably responsible for routinely approving several million dollars a year in rail transportation invoices. So, I would be willing to bet he already knows a lot about the train business and probably way than you Mr. Dicenso will ever know.
Here we go again with more sophomoric silliness from TRAINS News Wire readers. First, give them credit for going outside of CSX for the new guy. Most you would have been complaining about inbreeding if they had promoted from within. Second, if you had taken the time to read his resume you find out he has an enormous amount of rail transportation experience. I have worked with the auto companies on supply chain issues, and they are one of the largest rail users and rail customers in the US. He probably knows more about railroads than 90 percent of TRAINS readers. Finally, there is an old adage that says insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Give CSX credit for the guts to bring in an outsider. And remember Hunter Harrison was an insider and look at what happened.
I hope your confidence in Mr. Hinrichs proves to be correct. I have my doubts but time will tell.
Yup, GM did this kind of stuff before too…Remember John Smale the Proctor and Gamble CEO who was hired to run GM in the early 90’s? He knew a lot about soap bubbles and pampers, but not so much about running an automobile company…no different here…I can run a Lionel under the Christmas tree, so I’m your guy!
Just what the railroad industry needs—another CEO with no railroad experience.
Ford just laid off 3000 workers and has about a half million cars on recall. Oh yeah, he’ll fit right in.
The Chessie mafia hard at work?
Isn’t he the guy who decided Ford would stop selling cars? The Mustang is the only car in Ford’s lineup.
doesn’t know anything about railroads and worships wall st. not surprising he was picked.