BNSF Railway, splitting its CEO and president roles, promoted Carl Ice to president and chief operating officer while keeping Matthew K. Rose in the chairman and CEO positions.
Ice has been BNSF's executive vice president and COO since December 2000, and before that was senior vice president for operations. In the new position as president and COO, he will oversee operations, marketing and technology services for the second-largest North American railroad.
BNSF is a unit of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway investment company, and the only one of the top-tier railroads that is privately held. Berkshire acquired BNSF last February.
Rose said the promotion of Ice "marks the next step in our evolution and will put BNSF in a position to lead the rail industry through the next decade."
The other three largest U.S. railroads - Union Pacific Railroad, CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway - use a corporate structure in which the CEO also holds the titles of board chairman and president.