RailTrends: G&W's Hellmann honored as industry innovator

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John "Jack" Hellmann was presented with Progressive Railroading's Railroad Innovator Award today at the 2017 RailTrends® conference in New York City.

The award recognizes an individual's outstanding achievement in the rail industry.

Hellmann joined G&W in 2000 as the short-line holding company's chief financial officer. In 2005, he was promoted to president; in 2007, G&W added "CEO" to his title. On May 24, Hellmann was named chairman of the board, succeeding Mortimer Fuller III, who retired. Fuller had been G&W's CEO for 30 years and chairman for 40.

During Hellmann's 17 years with G&W, the company has grown from 21 railroads to 122, and from a market capitalization of $45 million to $4 billion. The company's eight North American regions serve 41 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces. The Australia Region provides rail freight services in New South Wales, the Northern Territory and South Australia, and operates the 1,400-mile Tarcoola-to-Darwin rail line. The U.K./Europe Region features Freightliner, the U.K.'s largest rail maritime intermodal operator and second-largest freight-rail company.

Hellmann received the 2017 Railroad Innovator Award at RailTrends, which began yesterday and wraps up today at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City. Hosted by Progressive Railroading, the annual conference brings together high-ranking freight-rail professionals to discuss and debate trending topics in the industry.

For more information about Hellmann's leadership at G&W, read Editor Pat Foran's profile of him in the November issue of Progressive Railroading.