McCarren, a 1978 graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, enjoyed a long career in the railroad industry. He served as president and CEO of Wisconsin Central and led the railroad when Canadian National acquired it in 2001.
Prior to joining Wisconsin Central in 1996, McCarren was a founder of the Gateway Western Railway, together with New York and Chicago venture capital interests, as a leveraged buyout of the St. Louis to Kansas City route of the Chicago, Missouri & Western Railroad. Gateway Western was sold to Kansas City Southern Industries in 1996.
McCarren’s railroad industry affiliations also included serving as Chairman of the Board for Operation Lifesaver, Inc. and as co-chair of the Railway Industry Working Group. He served on the board of the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad, and has served as a member, Vice Chair and Chair of the Rail Shipper Transportation Advisory Council, and as a board member of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.
