CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific will waste no time officially combining with Kansas City Southern.
CP said today that it will create Canadian Pacific Kansas City on April 14, the earliest date CP could take control of KCS under the Surface Transportation Board’s approval of the $31 billion merger.
“Under the leadership of the exceptional group of railroaders we announce today, CPKC will bring new options to rail customers while increasing safety, improving service and spurring new investment in our railroad network,” CP CEO Keith Creel said in a statement. “Together, all these benefits will create jobs and drive economic growth in North America.
Creel will be president and CEO of CPKC. The rest of the railroad’s executive leadership team was announced today and includes (Current KCS executives in italics):
- Nadeem Velani, executive vice-president and chief financial officer
- John Brooks, executive vice-president and chief marketing officer
- Mark Redd, executive vice-president and chief operating officer
- John Orr, executive vice-president and chief transformation officer
- James Clements, executive vice-president strategic planning & technology
- Jeff Ellis, executive vice-president chief legal officer and corporate secretary
- Warren Erdman, executive advisor strategic projects
- Laird Pitz, senior vice-president and chief risk officer
- Mike Foran, senior vice-president network & capacity management
- Chad Rolstad, vice-president of human resources and chief culture officer
- Oscar Augusto Del Cueto Cuevas, KCS de Mexico president, general manager, and executive representative
KCS CEO Pat Ottensmeyer will stay on as an advisor through the end of the year, predominantly working on matters related to CPKC in Mexico.
“Our senior leadership team is eager to come together to write the next chapter of railroad history in North America,” Creel said. “This experienced team will guide our work on a seamless integration for our customers, our employees and the North American supply chain.”
CPKC has yet to reveal the railway’s new logo or locomotive livery.
It’s interesting that out of a 12 person team only three are from KCS.
John Orr, executive vice-president and chief transformation officer…
“Chief Transformation Officer”?!? Whazzat? Sounds like an entry in a Buzzword Bingo card.
It also sounds like a short-term placeholder for a guy who is on his (yes *his*; as mentioned below, no women) way out, and has been given a title and salary to occupy a board seat until he retires.
Interesting—– no female/s as part of exec leadership team……
When I was a Kansas City Southern train dispatcher I worked with Mark Redd in the 1990s when he was in charge of the KCS System Operations Center in Shreveport. Although he is not listed above as a current KCS employee, he knows the railroad top to bottom and is aware that Shreveport is the heart of its U.S. operations.
If it was me, I would keep both liveries and just add small CPKC reporting marks to everything.
Good idea, Gerald, under bad alternatives. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depends on how you look at it, it’s not up to either one of us.
The CPKC moniker, chosen for reasons of office politics, doesn’t roll off the tongue. Both pre-existing liveries are gorgeous (and historic) and I don’t see any way to meld the two or split the difference.
CanKan SouthPac would have been a good name…It will be good to see this marriage finally done.
Canadian Pacific, Kansas City and Southern – just like the old days! Regardless, agreed, good to see it finally done. Just watch-out for those derailments . . . .