People News: AITX, Operation Lifesaver
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Larry Hickman, Chief Information Officer, AITX
Railcar service provider AITX elevates Larry Hickman to Chief Information Officer. Also, Operation Lifesaver, Inc., (OLI) taps five new State Coordinators to lead rail safety education efforts.
AITX
Larry Hickman has been promoted to Chief Information Officer at AITX, a year after joining the company as Vice President, Information Technology. He will now be responsible for overseeing all aspects of information technology systems and data platforms, implementing “innovative” solutions and leading a team of IT professionals, according to AITX, which offers a railcar lease fleet in North America and Europe, as well as railcar repair services and storage.
Hickman previously held technology leadership roles at Centene, Reinsurance Group of America, and Bethesda Health Group.
“We are making significant, long-term investments in our systems and resources to better support our company’s continued growth and improve our ability to provide timely and accurate information to our customers, employees and stakeholders,” AITX President Texas Howard said. “Larry’s experience with change management, along with his proven leadership skills, has been integral in expanding our technology and information capabilities and translating business strategies into forward-looking system roadmaps.”
In a related development, AITX on May 2 reported appointing Mahindhann Krishnapillai as Head of AITX Rail Europe, the company’s new European railcar platform.
OLI
Five new State Coordinators are now in place for OLI’s programs in Delaware, Illinois, Montana, OLI of the Dakotas (representing North and South Dakota), and South Carolina. They will manage rail safety outreach and education throughout their states and oversee their state’s volunteers to provide free rail safety presentations to K-12 students, professional truck drivers, new drivers, first responders and others.
They are Stacey Inglis, Delaware; Aisha Jackson, Illinois; John Althof, Montana; Kevin Brown, OLI of the Dakotas; and Bridget Cowen, South Carolina.
“We enthusiastically welcome our newest State Coordinators and applaud their deep commitment and unwavering dedication to rail safety,” OLI Executive Director Rachel Maleh said. “They will do an excellent job empowering their citizens to make safe choices around railroad tracks and trains—preparing them to know the facts, make good decisions and share the rail safety message. Together, we can stop track tragedies.”
Separately, OLI recently announced that it has updated its ProDriver Challenge eLearning program, helping drivers prepare to make safe choices when navigating railroad crossings along their routes. Also, Rail Safety Week—spearheaded by OLI, Operation Lifesaver Canada and the Mexican Association of Railroads—will be held Sept. 18-24, 2023.
