AAR Announces Ian Jefferies to Succeed Current President, CEO Edward Hamberger
The Association of American Railroads has announced that a new president will take the reins at the start of next year.
Ian Jefferies, the organization’s senior vice president of government affairs and senior policy adviser on Capitol Hill, will succeed longtime CEO Edward Hamberger.
Jefferies
“I am honored to work for a bedrock industry that delivers every day for the economy, and I appreciate the confidence placed in me to guide the AAR as we work to build an even stronger future for rail,” Jefferies said. “As change accelerates in Washington and the transportation sector, freight railroads are on track to meet tomorrow’s challenges while remaining steadfastly committed to the safety, efficiency and sustainability that define railroading in America.”
News of Jefferies’ pending appointment came Sept. 18 — several months after Hamberger announced plans to retire. He has served 20 years, becoming the longest tenured president and CEO in the organization’s 84-year history.
Jefferies joined AAR in 2013 and has helped secure major victories, including managing advocacy around the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2015, securing tank car safety enhancements in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act and defeating efforts to increase truck size and weight limits.
“Ian will extend a legacy of vision, leadership and energy to write an exciting new chapter for the AAR while ensuring that it remains a clear and trusted voice in Washington,” AAR Chairman Jim Squires said.
Squires also is chairman and CEO of Norfolk Southern Corp.
Prior to joining AAR, Jefferies worked for more than a decade in government. He was a senior policy adviser to the chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and worked for the Department of Transportation, Office of the Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office.
American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear responded to the news.
“We congratulate Ian on being selected as AAR’s new CEO,” Spear said. “We recognize the critical connectivity of trucks and trains in serving our customers and growing the economy, and we look forward to working together to encourage smart investments in our infrastructure.”
