(The following article by Randolph Heaster was posted on the Kansas City Star website on April 20.)
KANSAS CITY — Kansas City Southern today selected a new president and chief executive officer for its Mexican railroad.
Jose Zozaya will be Kansas City Southern de Mexico’s principal executive in Mexico, reporting to the KCSM board led by Chairman Michael R. Haverty. Haverty is chairman and CEO of Kansas City Southern.
Zozaya was legal and government relations director for ExxonMobil Mexico for the past nine years. Zozaya has experience helping multinational companies develop business through government relations in Mexico, as well as working on mergers and contracts.
“We are pleased that someone of Jose Zozaya’s caliber has agreed to join the KCSM team,” Haverty said in a statement. “His diverse corporate background and relationship-building expertise will provide essential communications between the company and important stakeholders in Mexico.”
In addition holding law and economics degrees from Mexican universities, Zozaya also has participated in Yale University’s management program for lawyers.
Zozaya succeeds Javier Rion, who became chief executive of KCSM last July, when it was still known as TFM. Kansas City Southern completed deals last year to take full ownership of the Mexico’s biggest railroad from a joint-venture partner as well as the Mexican government.
Kansas City Southern said in December that Rion would be leaving KCSM in a few months.