Derek Taylor Named Chief Operating Officer at G&W
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W), a leading owner and operator of short line and freight railroads across North America and select international markets, has announced the appointment of Derek Taylor as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). In his new role, Taylor will be responsible for overseeing the company’s extensive rail operations across the United States and Canada, bringing with him more than two decades of senior leadership experience in the railroad industry.
The appointment marks a significant leadership development for G&W as the company continues to strengthen its operational performance, enhance service reliability, and expand its customer-focused growth strategy across its vast rail network. Taylor’s arrival is expected to further reinforce the company’s commitment to safety, efficiency, and operational excellence at a time when freight rail continues to play a vital role in North America’s supply chain ecosystem.
Extensive Railroad Leadership Experience
Derek Taylor joins G&W with more than 25 years of experience in the rail transportation sector, having built a career centered on large-scale rail operations, network optimization, and service delivery improvement. Throughout his professional journey, he has held several senior leadership positions where he was responsible for managing complex rail systems, ensuring safety compliance, and leading operational transformation initiatives.
Most recently, Taylor served as Executive Vice President and Chief Field Operating Officer at Canadian National Railway (CN), one of North America’s largest and most prominent Class I railroads. In that role, he oversaw day-to-day field operations across CN’s expansive rail network, which spans approximately 20,000 miles across Canada and the United States.
At CN, Taylor led thousands of employees working across multiple divisions, including transportation, engineering, mechanical operations, and intermodal services. His responsibilities included ensuring the safe and efficient movement of freight, optimizing network capacity, and maintaining high levels of service reliability for customers across diverse industries such as agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and consumer goods.
His tenure at CN is widely recognized for a strong emphasis on operational discipline, safety performance improvement, and the integration of data-driven decision-making into rail operations. Under his leadership, CN continued to focus on improving train velocity, reducing network congestion, and enhancing overall supply chain performance for its customers.
Leadership Perspective from G&W
G&W leadership has expressed strong confidence in Taylor’s ability to contribute meaningfully to the company’s long-term strategic objectives. According to G&W Chief Executive Officer Michael Miller, Taylor’s deep operational experience and leadership approach align closely with the company’s mission of delivering safe, reliable, and customer-centric rail services.
Miller noted that Taylor is a “seasoned railroad operator and leader who understands what it takes to run safe, reliable and customer-focused operations.” He emphasized that Taylor’s career has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to improving rail service performance while also supporting long-term business growth.
Miller further highlighted Taylor’s extensive involvement in critical areas of railroad management, including network operations, service design, and large-scale capital planning. These functions are central to ensuring that rail infrastructure can meet increasing demand while maintaining high levels of efficiency and safety.
According to Miller, Taylor’s experience in planning and executing capital investments aimed at expanding capacity and improving service reliability will be particularly valuable to G&W as it continues to grow its footprint across North America. He also noted that Taylor’s leadership will allow him to focus more on strengthening customer relationships, accelerating commercial growth, and enhancing strategic partnerships within the rail industry.
Role and Responsibilities at G&W
In his role as Chief Operating Officer, Derek Taylor will oversee G&W’s operational activities across a highly diverse and geographically expansive rail network. The company operates railroads in 40 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces, making it one of the largest short line and regional railroad operators in North America.
G&W’s network includes dozens of individually operated rail lines that serve a wide range of industries, including agriculture, automotive, chemicals, energy, forestry, metals, and intermodal logistics. These rail lines are essential for connecting local and regional markets to major Class I railroads, ports, and distribution hubs.
Taylor’s responsibilities will include ensuring safe and efficient rail operations across this complex network, standardizing operational best practices, and improving service reliability for customers. He will also play a key role in advancing G&W’s safety culture, which remains a foundational priority for the company.
In addition, he is expected to work closely with regional leadership teams to enhance operational performance metrics such as on-time delivery, transit time consistency, asset utilization, and network fluidity. His background in large-scale railroad operations positions him well to address the challenges associated with coordinating multiple rail lines operating under different regional conditions and customer demands.
Focus on Safety and Operational Excellence
Safety has long been a core pillar of G&W’s operational philosophy, and Taylor’s appointment reinforces the company’s continued focus on maintaining and improving safety standards across its network. With decades of experience in managing rail operations at scale, Taylor brings a strong track record of implementing safety programs, reducing operational risks, and fostering a culture of accountability.
At Canadian National Railway, safety was a central priority across all operational divisions, and Taylor played a key role in reinforcing safety protocols and improving compliance across field operations. His experience managing thousands of employees across a vast network required a disciplined approach to safety management, training, and performance monitoring.
At G&W, he is expected to apply similar principles to ensure consistent safety practices across its short line railroads, many of which operate in diverse geographic and operational environments. This includes strengthening employee training programs, improving incident response systems, and leveraging operational data to identify and mitigate risks before they escalate.
Supporting Customer-Centric Growth
Another key aspect of Taylor’s role will be enhancing G&W’s customer service capabilities. The company serves a broad and diverse customer base that depends on reliable rail transportation for the movement of raw materials, finished goods, and industrial products.
Taylor’s experience in service design and network optimization is expected to play an important role in improving transit reliability and reducing variability in delivery times. These improvements are particularly important for customers in industries where supply chain timing and predictability are critical to production schedules and inventory management.
By improving coordination across G&W’s rail network and strengthening integration with connecting Class I railroads, Taylor is expected to help enhance overall service performance and create additional value for customers. His leadership is also likely to support G&W’s efforts to expand its commercial opportunities and attract new business across its operating regions.
Strategic Importance for G&W
The appointment of a Chief Operating Officer with Taylor’s background reflects G&W’s broader strategic focus on strengthening operational leadership as it navigates an evolving freight transportation landscape. Railroads continue to face growing demands for efficiency, sustainability, and digital transformation, and strong operational leadership is essential to meeting these challenges.
G&W’s extensive network across North America positions it as a key player in regional freight logistics, and the company’s ability to maintain high levels of service performance depends heavily on coordination across its many operating subsidiaries. Taylor’s experience managing large-scale, distributed rail systems is expected to bring additional structure and operational consistency to this complex environment.
His appointment also signals G&W’s intent to continue investing in leadership talent capable of driving long-term improvements in performance, safety, and customer satisfaction. As supply chains become increasingly interconnected and competitive, operational excellence remains a critical differentiator for rail service providers.
As Derek Taylor steps into his new role, he will be tasked with overseeing one of the most extensive short line railroad networks in North America. His leadership will be instrumental in shaping the future direction of G&W’s operations, particularly as the company continues to focus on safety, reliability, and growth.
With a strong foundation of experience from one of the continent’s largest Class I railroads, Taylor brings a combination of strategic insight and operational expertise that aligns closely with G&W’s long-term goals. His appointment is expected to strengthen the company’s leadership team and enhance its ability to deliver consistent, high-quality rail services across its expansive network.
Ultimately, G&W’s decision to bring in a seasoned industry leader underscores its commitment to operational excellence and customer-focused growth. As Taylor assumes responsibility for operations spanning dozens of railroads across the United States and Canada, his leadership will play a central role in shaping the company’s performance and strategic direction in the years ahead.
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