CSX taps COO Jim Foote for CEO role

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The board of directors of CSX Corporation announced Friday that it has unanimously named James "Jim" M. Foote as the company’s president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. 

Foote was named acting CEO on Dec. 14, after E. Hunter Harrison was placed on medical leave. Harrison died two days later.

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Foote will also join the company’s board of directors.

“While we continue to mourn the loss of Hunter Harrison, the Board of Directors is pleased to announce Jim Foote as his successor, CSX chairman Edward J. Kelly III said. “Jim has decades of railroading experience and the board is confident of his ability to lead the company. He has already had a markedly positive impact. The board looks forward to working with him.”

Foote is a senior executive with over 40 years of railroad industry experience in finance, operations, sales and marketing. He was named executive vice president and chief operating officer of CSX in October 2017. 

“I worked alongside Hunter for over a decade and his pioneering approach to railroading unlocked significant efficiencies and value, and we remain focused on delivering on this vision for CSX, our customers and our shareholders. The execution of precision scheduled railroading is well underway, with the most critical components of the implementation completed and beginning to generate measurable operating improvement,” Foote said. “We look forward to providing an update on our strategic progress and to showcase our deeply talented management team at our upcoming investor day in March.”