Rising Stars 2024: Gene Barber

Gene Barber, 28
Commercial finance and marketing manager
R. J. Corman Railroad Co.

Nominator quote: “Gene’s thirst for knowledge and desire for improving himself has enabled him to learn the industry and our company at lightning speed and thrive in a multidisciplinary, high-pressure environment.” — Alin Campian, R. J. Corman Railroad Group

Education: Bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in economics, University of Kentucky, Gatton College of Business; MBA with a focus in marketing from Louisiana State University-Shreveport; pricing strategy and optimization course, University of Virginia Darden School of Business and Boston Consulting Group.

Job responsibilities: Market research, as well as the valuation and negotiation of pricing for freight, accessorial services and real estate. Also responsible for contract analysis, negotiation support and profitability analysis and management for all 19 of the company’s railroads. In addition, collaborate cross-functionally with the revenue accounting team and industry partners to problem-solve, as well as implement process/software improvements and solutions.

Career path: During college I worked in various professional internship roles at three companies, ranging from advanced analytics to corporate finance and accounting. Post-undergrad, I began working full time for Lexmark International as a financial analyst, while also holding a part-time job selling cars at night and on weekends. Three years later, I accepted a senior financial analyst role with R. J. Corman, and then quickly progressed to my current role.

How or why did you get into the rail industry? Early in my career, I began to realize the true value of working in a stable industry and for a growing company. I often would hear buzz words and phrases like “stable” and “vital to the country’s economy” when others would speak about the railroad industry. At the time, I didn’t understand the magnitude. But being from central Kentucky, I would hear how great of a company R. J. Corman is and how much the organization has grown over the years.

I reached out to a mentor of mine, Rich Barcelona, who had recently joined the R. J. Corman team, to let him know I applied with the company. Almost four years later, I can confidently say I made the right decision to join the R. J. Corman team.

What’s the best career advice that you’ve received so far? Ask myself at the end of each day whether I have given more than I have taken. I live by this mantra both personally and professionally. A good day is a day in which I can add more value than I take from the organization.

What advice would you share with someone new to railroading? My advice is to always ask questions, even when things seem to make sense. This will help with the learning curve and shorten the path to results and to the ability of a novice to add value.

What was your first job? My first paid job was as a concession stand worker when I was 14. However, I like to think that I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was about 10 years old. As a kid, I used to mow grass in the summer and shovel snow in the winter for extra cash.

Share a fun fact about yourself. I have a vending machine side-hustle.

If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be and why? I’d like to have Sunday dinner at my grandparents’ house with all the family there, again. It used to be a tradition we all looked forward to, but as time has gone, the tradition has faded, and many have moved on or away.

Who has had the most influence on your career? I give a lot of credit to my parents for raising me to understand the value of hard work, and also for challenging me to be better each day. I also give credit to my boss, Alin Campian, for playing a huge role in my development over the last few years.

Describe a major obstacle in your career and how you surmounted it. Building my professional network and relationships with mentors was a challenge for me in the first few years of my career. I didn’t really know where to start and had always taken the approach of letting my work speak for itself and my personal brand.

Once I gained perspective, I soon realized I needed to value my professional relationships just as much as my professional work. This shift in perspective allowed me to begin building my own professional relationships, most of which extend past the traditional coworker communication.

What is the biggest challenge facing the rail industry today? While there are many challenges facing the industry today, I believe labor to be among the most significant. Railroading is not just a job, it is a vocation that entails enormous dedication, discipline and hard work. The focused discipline required to perfect a very niche skill set is becoming extremely difficult to find.

In our industry, dedication, experience and hard work all impact productivity, which directly impacts our ability to keep our commitments to our customers and provide high-quality customer service. The quality and quantity of available labor also impacts our competitiveness as an alternative transportation mode.

As a lot of talent continues to retire at a fast pace from our industry, intense wage competition also impacts recruiting and retention of new employees.