BNSF announces Bobb retirement, shuffles leadership roles

BNSF Railway Co. yesterday announced several leadership changes, including the retirement of Steve Bobb, executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

Bobb will retire in August after more than 36 years of service. Tom Williams, who currently serves as group VP of consumer products, will succeed Bobb as EVP and CMO, effective Sept. 1.

Bobb joined BNSF in 1987 and held various positions in information systems, business analysis, planning and marketing. He became EVP and CMO 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 products marketing. In his new role, he will assume responsibility for BNSF’s sales and marketing activities, customer service and economic development.

Jon Gabriel, now VP of service design and network strategies, will replace Williams as group VP of consumer products. Gabriel 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. Prior to his most recent role, Gabriel served as VP of the South Region.

Meanwhile, 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, transportation and service design; Katie Hower has been named VP, service design and network strategy; and Farah Lawler has been named VP, domestic intermodal marketing.

Garland, who most recently served as VP of transportation, will be responsible for ensuring the safe, efficient and reliable movement of freight across BNSF’s 32,500-mile network, as well as developing and implementing service plans that meet the current and future needs of BNSF’s customers and markets.

In her new role, Hower will be responsible for business unit operations in addition to capital planning, operations research and intermodal innovation. Most recently, Hower served as VP of domestic intermodal marketing.

In her new role as VP of domestic intermodal marketing, Lawler will be responsible for marketing, sales, pricing and strategic initiatives supporting BNSF’s domestic intermodal business. Most recently, Lawler was VP of industrial products.