Rising Stars 2025: Doug Svatos

Doug Svatos, 38
General director, crew management
Union Pacific Railroad

Nominator’s quote: “Doug's leadership has significantly improved crew utilization, automation, employee engagement and customer service performance at Union Pacific. His initiatives have led to more effective crew staffing, reduced delays and better resource management, benefiting both employees and customers.” — Tonya Eggspuehler, Union Pacific Railroad

Education: Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition, exercise and health science, University of Nebraska.

Job responsibilities: Workforce planning, crew dispatching, lodging, transportation and FRA hours of service for 13,000-plus train, engine and yard crews across UP’s 23-state network.

Describe your career path.
I started as a crew dispatcher, responsible for calling TE&Y crews to work. I transitioned to a manager and later a director role, where I led crew dispatching and workforce planning. In 2021, I joined the customer care and support team, leading the manifest team where I worked directly with customers, marketing and sales, and the operations team. In 2023, I returned to crew management in my current role.

What sparked your interest in the rail industry?
My dad worked at Union Pacific in timekeeping, and he encouraged me to apply when I started looking for a job.

What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
My first real job in high school was with the city of Omaha. I mowed yards that violated city ordinances due to excessive length. I quickly realized that it was not my calling.

What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
While at the University of Nebraska I worked as a manager for the men’s basketball team and after graduating went to Indiana State as a graduate assistant for the basketball team.

What is one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned so far in your career?
Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.? It is easy to find the perfect solution that fixes everything, but that often leads to needing more resources, time, etc. Getting small wins can stack up quickly and often lead to a similar outcome.

How do you stay motivated and resilient when things get tough at work, in the industry or in life?
What I really look forward to is spending time with my wife and kids.? Our two kids are very involved in school, sports and dance.? Getting to see them grow and do things they really enjoy is always a nice break from the day to day.

If you could share a meal with anyone in the world today, who would it be and why?
Phil Jackson is arguably the greatest professional basketball coach of all time. I'd be interested in learning more about how he thinks, his mindset, leadership and philosophy to build high performing teams that sustain success.? Plus, I'm sure he has some great Jordan, Kobe and Shaq stories.

What do you believe is the rail industry’s biggest challenge today?
The rail industry is incredibly rich in data. However, with the rapid evolution of AI, how do we effectively leverage all that data into real-time insights?? By unlocking the potential of AI we can drive automation, optimize operations and enhance decision making across the network.