A press release from Amtrak; June 6, 2019:
Tracie Winbigler appointed CFO and Stephen Gardner named Chief Operating and Commercial Officer
WASHINGTON – The Amtrak Board of Directors approved two leadership changes to further build on the recent success of the company. Tracie Winbigler will serve as the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and Stephen Gardner will assume the role of Chief Operating and Commercial Officer.
Joining Amtrak on June 24, Winbigler will be responsible for the company’s finance, treasury, accounting and control functions. Most recently, Winbigler was the CFO at Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) where she led the financial, procurement, and asset protection teams for the $2.7 billion cooperative. Before that, she spent three years at National Geographic, joining the company as CFO and later promoted to Chief Operating Officer, responsible for corporate strategy and all aspects of financial operations. Winbigler started her career at General Electric and held a series of divisional CFO roles at businesses such as GE Nuclear, GE Transportation and GE Asset Management. Winbigler will report to CEO Richard Anderson.
“Tracie is an accomplished financial executive with experience developing and implementing strategy,” said Anderson. “Her leadership skills and financial knowledge will be instrumental as we continue to work toward eliminating our net operating loss.”
Effective immediately, Gardner will serve in the newly-created role of Chief Operating and Commercial Officer, reporting directly to CEO Richard Anderson. He will provide day-to-day operational leadership for Amtrak, driving delivery of the Annual Operating Plan, and strengthening the coordination between various functions across the company. Gardner will oversee the operations, administration, marketing, strategy and planning, information technology, product development and customer experience, government affairs and corporate communications functions of the company.
“Stephen has played a pivotal role in Amtrak’s record operating performance, increased ridership and improved customer amenities,” said Anderson. “With this expanded role, Stephen will also oversee the day-to-day operations of the company and ensure continued growth and success.”
About Amtrak®
Amtrak offers a more comfortable and convenient travel experience with free Wi-Fi on most trains, plenty of leg room and no middle seat. With our state and commuter partners, we move people, the economy and the nation forward, carrying more than 30 million Amtrak customers for each of the past eight years. Amtrak operates more than 300 trains daily, connecting more than 500 destinations in 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces, and reaches 400 additional destinations via connecting bus routes. Book travel, check train status, access your eTicket and more through the Amtrak app. Learn more at Amtrak.com.