BNSF Railway Co. Announces New CMO, Several Leadership Moves

Fort Worth-based BNSF Railway Co. has announced several leadership moves, including the naming of Tom Williams, currently group vice president of consumer products, as executive vice president and chief marketing officer, effective Sept. 1. Williams will succeed Steve Bobb, who will retire in August after more than 36 years of service.

“Steve has been a key leader and contributor to BNSF’s success for more than three decades,” Katie Farmer, president and chief executive officer of BNSF, said in a statement. “He has built strong relationships with our customers and communities and fostered a culture of innovation and excellence in our marketing organization. We thank him for his passion and dedication and wish him and his family all the best in his retirement.”

Jon Gabriel, currently vice president of service design and network strategies, will replace Williams as group vice president of consumer products.

BNSF also announced three key leadership changes in its transportation, service design, and marketing teams, effective Sept. 1:

Matt Garland has been promoted to senior vice president of transportation and service design.
Katie Hower has been named vice president of service design and network strategy.
Farah Lawler has been named vice president of domestic intermodal marketing.
Marketing Leadership

Tom Williams will succeed Steve Bobb, who will retire in August

Bobb joined BNSF in 1987 and held various positions in information systems, business analysis, planning, and marketing. He led several business units, including minerals, chemicals, agricultural products, and coal, before becoming EVP and chief marketing officer in 2013. In this role, he was responsible for leading BNSF’s sales, marketing, customer service, and economic development teams. He also served as a general manager in operations from 2005 to 2008.

Williams joined the former Santa Fe Railway Co. in 1993 and held various positions in intermodal, automotive, and industrial product marketing. Williams also served as assistant vice president of intermodal/automotive operations in the service design and performance group at BNSF. He was promoted to vice president of industrial products sales in 2014 and vice president of industrial products in 2016, responsible for marketing and sales for chemicals, plastics, and petroleum products. Williams became group vice president of consumer products in 2017, overseeing the intermodal and automotive business units.

As EVP and chief marketing officer, Williams will assume responsibility for BNSF’s sales and marketing activities, customer service, and economic development.

“Having an experienced leader like Tom take the reins of our marketing team and strategy will prove invaluable as we continue to evolve, innovate, and deliver industry-leading service,” Farmer said. “Tom’s deep background in intermodal, carload, and operations will position BNSF for long-term success.”

Gabriel , who will take on Williams role, began his career at BNSF in consumer products in 2006 and then held several positions in service design. He moved to transportation in 2012, where he served in numerous leadership roles with increasing responsibility, including general manager of the Montana and Northwest divisions and later as general superintendent of BNSF’s Network Operations Center in Fort Worth. Prior to his most recent role, Gabriel was vice president of the south region.

“The success of our consumer products business is critical to both our present and our future at BNSF—which requires continual innovation in this segment,” Williams said. “We’re fortunate to have an experienced and innovative leader like Jon to step into this dynamic role to lead our outstanding consumer products team to new heights.”

Operation leadership promotion

Garland, who most recently served as vice president of transportation, will assume oversight for all BNSF transportation operations, service design, and network strategies. In this new senior leadership role, Garland will be responsible for ensuring the movement of freight across BNSF’s 32,500-mile network and developing and implementing service plans that meet the current and future needs of BNSF’s customers and markets.

“Change across our industry and the markets we serve is happening faster than ever before,” Matt Igoe, executive vice president and chief operations officer, said in a statement. “I believe combining our transportation and service design teams under Matt’s leadership will provide added agility in our planning, strategy, and decision-making to meet the needs of both current and future customers.”

Garland joined BNSF as a management trainee in 2001. He was soon promoted to trainmaster and later served in various transportation leadership roles with increasing responsibility. In 2015, he was promoted to general manager for the Kansas Division. Garland moved back to Fort Worth in 2018 to serve as general superintendent for BNSF’s Network Operations Center and was later named vice president of the south region prior to being promoted to his most recent role.

Service design and network strategy VP named

Hower has been named vice president of service design and network strategy. She will be responsible for BNSF’s business unit operations, as well as the company’s capital planning, operations research, and intermodal innovation. Most recently, she was vice president of domestic intermodal marketing.

“With her leadership experience across both BNSF operations and marketing, Katie is uniquely positioned to lead this important team and drive continued innovation that will allow us to rise to the opportunities before us,” Garland said. “We look forward to watching what Katie and her team do in the coming years to adapt and grow with our customers.”

Hower joined BNSF in 2006 as a marketing management trainee. During her career with BNSF, she has held several marketing and sales roles in consumer products, industrial products, and agriculture products. Hower also spent time in transportation with responsibility for intermodal and automotive facilities and network operations. In 2020, Hower was promoted to assistant vice president of petroleum and industrial products. Prior to her most recent role, Hower was vice president of industrial products, responsible for energy and coal.

Domestic intermodal marketing VP tapped

Lawler has been named vice president, domestic intermodal marketing, with responsibility for marketing, sales, pricing, and strategic initiatives supporting BNSF’s domestic intermodal business. She most recently served as vice president, industrial products.

“Farah has been an outstanding leader for BNSF, and we appreciate her taking on this new challenge to serve and support our domestic intermodal customers, which is an extremely dynamic segment and will remain an important part of BNSF’s long-term portfolio,” Gabriel said.

Lawler joined BNSF in 2006 as a marketing management trainee. Throughout her railroading career, she has held several marketing and sales roles in consumer products, industrial products, and agriculture products. She was promoted to assistant vice president, petroleum, industrial products, in 2020. She was later named assistant vice president, industrial products and subsequently promoted to her most recent position to lead the industrial products energy and coal team.

As part of this transition, BNSF said its crude oil and coal teams will join the new agriculture and energy products business unit.

One of North America’s leading freight transportation companies, BNSF operates roughly 32,500 route miles of track in 28 states and also operates in three Canadian provinces.

The company is one of the top transporters of consumer goods, grain and agricultural products, low-sulfur coal, and industrial goods such as petroleum, chemicals, housing materials, food, and beverages.