People News: NCRR, RailPros
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
Trish Haver, COO, NCRR (left); and Erika Bruhnke, Chief Sales and Growth Officer, RailPros (right).
The North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) promotes Trish Haver to Chief Commercial Officer (COO). Also, RailPros promotes Erika Bruhnke to Chief Sales and Growth Officer.
NCRR
NCRR, a private corporation that owns and manages a 317-mile rail corridor, announced on Oct. 25 that it has promoted Trish Haver to COO, effective as of Oct. 16.
According to NCRR, Haver oversees the company’s revenue generation and commercial strategy, as well as economic development. She is also the first woman in NCRR’s 174-year history to lead the company’s engineering department.
Haver joined NCRR in April 2022, serving as Sr. Vice President, Business Development & Head of Strategy. In this role, she established NCRR’s business development department and led the company’s strategic planning efforts.
“With her boundless creativity and relentless focus on results, Trish Haver brings the strength and experience we need to shape the commercial growth of NCRR,” said NCRR President and CEO Carl Warren. “I know she will thrive in this critical leadership role.”
Throughout her career, Haver has focused on improving global supply chains and expanding rail connectivity between ports and their inland markets. Prior to joining NCRR, she spent 21-years at Norfolk Southern (NS) in roles of increasing responsibility, including intermodal and automotive marketing, finance and business development. Haver also served as Vice President of Industrial Development for the Port of New Orleans and New Orleans Public Belt (NOPB) Railroad.
Haver earned an M.B.A. from Old Dominion University, with a concentration in Ports and Maritime Operations, and a B.A. from The College of William and Mary.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead NCRR into this next chapter of growth and development,” said Haver. “I am excited to create a new commercial and development platform which will enhance North Carolina’s global competitiveness by focusing on innovation, infrastructure and safety.”
RailPros
Irving, Texas-based RailPros announced Oct. 26 that it has promoted Erika Bruhnke to Chief Sales and Growth Officer, a new position for the company, which provides services to railroad-related businesses across North America.
In this role, Bruhnke will report to COO Marco Loureiro, who joined the company earlier this year, and will be responsible for “developing and executing strategies to drive revenue growth and expand RailPros’ market presence.” According to the company, she will “oversee sales teams, business development efforts, and customer acquisition, aiming to achieve revenue targets and ensure sustained business growth.”
“Erika’s leadership of RailPros’ Training Service business unit has been remarkable,” said RailPros CEO Ken Koff. “She has developed the RailPros training division into a strong team of professionals, growing the business, and favorably impacting safety across North America. RailPros actively seeks leaders like Erika, who in their day-to-day stewardship of our business, exercise their skill in honoring our people-centric and service excellence commitments. I look forward to seeing her leverage these skills in this new role for RailPros.”
Bruhnke joined RailPros in 2018 as the Vice President of Training Services, after working in progressively expanding roles for BNSF Railway for a decade. According to RailPros, she has successfully led the Training and Media Services Division of the company by “fostering relationships with new clients, growing the Training and Media teams’ industry presence, and expanding RailPros’ first-class service offerings.” She is also active in numerous industry organizations, sitting on the Board of Directors for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Chairing the Supplier Committee for the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), and an active member of Committee 24 with AREMA. She is also a past board member for the League of Railway Women (LRW).
Bruhnke holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and Marketing degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia.
“I am excited for this next step and am eager to represent the amazing and talented people of Team RailPros,” said Bruhnke. “From this new perspective, I look forward to strengthening client relationships and will continue to advocate for the RailPros brand across the industry.”
