Dean Wise has been named vice president, Network Strategy, responsible for BNSF Railway Company's Haulage Management, Interline Management, Network Strategy Development, Public-Private Partnerships and Short Line Business Development functions, effective Feb. 1, 2010, the company announced last week. He will report to Matt Rose, chairman, president and chief executive officer. Wise succeeds Pete Rickershauser, who will retire on April 30, 2010.
After a career that included work for Conrail predecessor railroads as well as Norfolk Southern and Southern Pacific, Rickershauser joined BNSF in 1996 as vice president, marketing. He moved into his current position in 1999.
Wise joins BNSF from Norbridge, Inc., a consultancy in the freight, transport and logistics industry where he is a partner. Before joining Norbridge, Wise served as vice president for Mercer Management Consulting, now Oliver Wyman, where he was responsible for its North American surface transportation consulting practice. Wise's prior experience includes management positions at Temple Barker & Sloane, Inc., Conrail, and Southern Pacific Transportation Company.
"BNSF and the rail industry has benefitted from Pete's vast industry knowledge amassed throughout his 40-year career in this industry. He has done an outstanding job managing the increasingly complex strategic details of the railroad's network reach and BNSF relationships with our interline connections. We wish him well in his retirement," Rose said. "We were fortunate to identify such a strong successor. Dean brings a wealth of experience and transportation knowledge to our company, and we are pleased to have him become part of the BNSF team."