The first woman to lead a Class I railroad, Kathryn Farmer will be CEO of BNSF, effective January 2021. Farmer’s dedication to BNSF is clear: she started her career as a management trainee in the network operations center almost thirty years ago. Her strategy for the company echoes her predecessor’s push towards efficiency and cost control. Farmer’s extensive history within the railroad industry includes BNSF’s Executive Vice President Operations, Vice President Service Design and Transportation Support, Group Vice President Consumer Products, Vice President Domestic Intermodal and Vice President Industrial Products. Having held senior positions in every major function of the company, she has accrued broad expertise in finance, marketing, and operations. Owned by Berkshire Hathaway, BNSF railroad tracks cover 32,500 route miles in 28 states and three Canadian provinces. Soon, Farmer will join the leaders at Berkshire Hathaway as one of four female chief executives in the multinational conglomerate company.
