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CSX Transportation Oct. 24 reorganized its merchandise sales and marketing department, planning to emphasize direct sales contact, product development and promotion, and a more-specialized functional expertise — a shift from a commodity-based to a more customer-focused approach.
The merchandise service group — which accounts for nearly half of CSXT's $7 billion-plus annual revenues — now will be split into two principal groups, requiring several executives to accept new responsibilities.
William Kenwell, former GT Nexus vice president-partner relations, was named vice president-sales, and will oversee a group responsible for directing and increasing all network customer sales activities.
Vice President-Agricultural and International Marketing Michael Ryan was named vice president-sales, and will manage a group responsible for better serving and expanding CSXT's largest transportation accounts.
The railroad also named Vice President-Sales and Marketing J. Ganson Evans vice president-process transformation, governing CSXT's Six Sigma program; Vice President-Manufactured Products James Howarth, vice president-marketing; Assistant Vice President-Production Definition Frank Onimus, vice president-product performance; Vice President-Chemicals and Minerals Derrick Smith, vice president and general manager of the newly created Emerging Markets Unit; and Assistant Vice President-Metals James Woodall, vice president-pricing and yield management. Vice President and General Manager-Florida Business Unit Glenn Katz would retain his title and the unit would remain intact.
"CSXT has worked hard for the past year to get operations back on track after the Conrail acquisition," said P. Michael Giftos, CSXT executive vice president and chief commercial officer, in a prepared statement. "That hard work has paid off -- operations are now running more efficiently than at any time in the company's long history."
CSXT's merchandise sales and marketing organization employs 500 people engaged in sales and marketing activities, pricing, and customer satisfaction initiatives.