Speaker's Curriculum Vitae

Ronald Russ

Ron Russ has over 35 years of rail and financial management experience including stints beginning at the Milwaukee Road in Tacoma, Washington in 1973, the Soo Line Railroad in Minneapolis and Wisconsin Central in Rosemont, IL, where he was a founder, Treasurer and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer before its acquisition by Canadian National in 2001. Following some time working with CN on merger/integration transactions he served at Kansas City Southern where he was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer when KCS acquired controlling interest in its Mexican operations. He joined Genesee & Wyoming Inc. team as a Senior Vice President in March 2009 and was named the President and General Manager of the Portland & Western Railroad, Inc. on June 1, 2009.

In the mid-1990s he was Executive Manager and Chief Financial Officer for over 5 years at the Wisconsin Central affiliate Tranz Rail Holdings Limited based in Wellington, New Zealand where in June 1997 Global Finance magazine recognized him in a group of CFOs for his de-leveraging Tranz Rail's balance sheet, interest rate management and taking the company public in the U.S. and New Zealand in 1996. Ron is also a principal of a start-up company, ECTO, LLC which is developing a high-capacity freight car for palletized freight.

Ron graduated from DePaul University with a BS Commerce degree. Ron and his wife Karen reside in West Linn, Oregon with their five children.

rruss@gwrr.com