Amtrak names Newman EVP of planning, strategy

Amtrak has appointed Dennis Newman executive vice president, planning and strategy, railroad officials announced yesterday.

Newman will be responsible for corporate planning and strategy, schedule and consist planning, services and host groups, and the railroad's participation in the Gateway program, Amtrak officials said in a press release.

Previously, Newman was Amtrak's vice president of planning, strategy and research.

"This expansion of Dennis’s responsibilities will help us further grow our business and strengthen our network,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson. "He and his team will lead the company’s planning efforts to modernize our fleet, rebuild and expand our infrastructure, and evolve our network to meet growing demand across the United States."

Newman joined Amtrak in December 2017 from Dish Network, where he was VP of sales. Prior to that, he worked at Northwest Airlines and Delta Airlines for more than 17 years.

As part of the executive changes, the corporate planning and strategy functions led by Newman and the commercial and marketing functions headed by Roger Harris will become separate entities within the group led by Stephen Gardner, senior EVP of commercial, marketing and strategy. Previously, both of those functions reported to Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer Tim Griffin, who reported to Gardner and recently retired from Amtrak.