CEO Jim Vena leads Union Pacific with more than 40 years of railroad industry experience, with a demonstrated track record of driving best-in-class operating and service results.

Vena started from the ground up at Canadian National Railway (CN) and worked in the Engineering, Mechanical and Operating departments, including operating trains as a locomotive engineer. After graduating from university, he worked in management across Operations, Marketing, Strategic Planning and Labor Relations at CN. Vena ultimately was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer.

As Union Pacific’s chief operating officer from 2019-2020, Vena oversaw a team that achieved efficiency savings and delivered the best service product in the company’s history. He served as senior advisor to the chairman in 2021 and returned to Union Pacific as CEO in August 2023. As CEO, his goal is to continue to drive best-in-class results in Safety, Service and Operational Excellence.

Currently, Vena serves as chairman of the Association of American Railroads (AAR). Previously, he was a board member of Direct ChassisLink Inc. (DCLI) and FedEx, and served on a number of railroad-associated boards in his career.