(Union Pacific issued the following news release on January 30.)
Omaha, Neb. — Union Pacific Corporation today announced that Ivor J. (Ike) Evans has been elected vice chairman of the corporation and that James R. Young has been elected president of Union Pacific Railroad, succeeding Evans. Both men will join chairman and chief executive officer Dick Davidson in a newly created Office of the Chairman. Evans, a director of both the corporation and the railroad will also be a vice chairman of Union Pacific Railroad.
The board also elected Robert M. Knight, Jr., currently senior vice president-finance, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Union Pacific succeeding Jim Young.
In commenting on the new assignments, Davidson said, “This formalizes a strong working relationship that has been in place for some time. Ike, Jim and I are a team whose skills complement each other very well, and we share an enthusiasm about this company and the opportunities before us. We believe that this is an industry with a very bright future, and we are committed to profitable top-line growth while setting new standards for customer service.”
Davidson, 62, has been chairman and chief executive officer of Union Pacific since January 1, 1997. He joined the company in 1960 as a brakeman/conductor and has held a number of positions in the company during his career including executive vice president – operations and president of the railroad. He is also a director of Grupo Ferroviario Mexicano and The Kroger Co.
Evans, 61, joined Union Pacific Railroad in September 1998 as president and chief operating officer from Emerson Electric where he was a senior vice president. In addition to being a director of Union Pacific, he also serves on the boards of Cooper Industries, Textron and Creighton University and is chairman of the board of the Association of American Railroads.
Young, 51, became executive vice president and chief financial officer of Union Pacific in December 1999. He began his career at Union Pacific in 1978 in the finance department after graduating from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He is also a director of Grupo Ferroviario Mexicano.
Knight, 46, has held a number of positions in the finance, human resources, executive and marketing and sales departments during his 23 years with Union Pacific. A graduate of Kansas State University, he holds an MBA from Southern Illinois University.
Union Pacific Corporation is one of America’s leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, is the largest railroad in North America, covering 23 states across the western two-thirds of the United States. A strong focus on quality and a strategically advantageous route structure enable the company to serve customers in critical and fast growing markets. It is a leading carrier of low-sulfur coal used in electrical power generation and has broad coverage of the large chemical-producing areas along the Gulf Coast. With competitive long-haul routes between all major West Coast ports and eastern gateways, and as the only railroad to serve all six gateways to Mexico, Union Pacific has the premier rail franchise in North America.