Former BNSF CIO dePass Olsovsky joins CN board

CN announced yesterday that Jo-ann dePass Olsovsky has been appointed to serve on its board, effective immediately.

dePass Olsovsky brings more than 35 years of technology, infrastructure operations and railroad experience to CN. Currently, she is executive vice president and chief information officer of Salesforce, where she oversees the company’s global information technology organization.

Previously, dePass Olsovsky spent almost 12 years at BNSF Railway Co., where she served as senior VP and CIO, leading enterprise information technology, including train control and operational systems supporting safety, transportation and digital train control, mechanical, engineering and intermodal automation.

In addition, she led the cloud digitization strategy focused on customer experience through cloud applications, advanced technologies enablement through operations research and predictive analytics. dePass Olsovsky also led drone inspection operations for bridges, track and structures, which were all enabled through the railroad’s telecommunications and North American network.

Prior to BNSF, dePass Olsovsky held technology leadership positions at AT&T and GTE/Verizon.

"The intersection of her technology, operations and railroad experience creates a powerful combination of expertise that will be valuable to CN as we continue building the railway of the future using digital innovation to drive safety, operational excellence, customer experience and enhanced long-term shareholder value," said CN Chairman Robert Pace in a press release.

dePass Olsovsky is filling a board vacancy created in September when an independent director resigned to spend more time on her full-time executive role outside of CN, company officials said. With the appointment of dePass Olsovsky, CN’s board is comprised of 11 directors, 10 of whom are independent and five of whom are women.