RailPulse Appoints GM

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
David Shannon, General Manager, RailPulse

David Shannon, General Manager, RailPulse

David Shannon has been selected as the first General Manager of RailPulse, a coalition of railcar owners, builders and operators whose aim is to “facilitate and accelerate the adoption of GPS and other telematics technology across the North American railcar network to significantly increase visibility, efficiency and safety.”

The RailPulse coalition—comprising Norfolk Southern (NS), GATX Corporation, Genesee & Wyoming Inc., Watco, The Greenbrier Companies and TrinityRail—is working not only to give “shippers visibility into the status, location and condition of rail equipment and the commodities being transported,” but also to use “key data to provide real-time performance information, including safety data, on railcars to shippers, railcar owners and railroads.” This will ultimately “advance rail safety, increase telematics adoption [and] drive growth in freight rail utilization,” according to the coalition, which was established in late 2020.

In March 2021, RailPulse selected Princeton Consultants to design a “neutral, open-architecture, industry-wide” platform that ensures “the safety and security of proprietary car-owner data.”

As General Manager, Shannon will oversee RailPulse’s day-to-day operations. In addition, he will administer pilot projects in preparation for the RailPulse platform’s market launch as well as set commercial, regulatory, and operations strategies; grow the RailPulse team; and represent the coalition externally.

Mike McClellan, Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning at NS

Shannon served most recently as Business Unit Manager for Parker Hannifin’s Diversified Technologies Business Unit. His team there “developed and produced solutions rooted in the Internet of Things (IoT), exploring sensor technologies and software platforms that lead to better, more accurate remote condition monitoring,” according to RailPulse. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Savi Technology, a Lockheed Martin company.

“We are thrilled to have David join RailPulse as our first General Manager,” said Mike McClellan, Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning at NS, a founding member of the coalition. “David brings years of Internet of Things (IoT) and telematics experience. His leadership experience impressed the Board, and we are confident David will guide the coalition through a successful product launch in late 2022 and position the platform for growth.”

For more on RailPulse and telematics, read:

• “A Journey Into the Telematics Universe,” by Railway Age Contributing Editor Jim Blaze.

• “Moving Closer to Rail Maintenance Truth,” by Nexxiot AG Co-founder Daniel MacGregor.

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