Amtrak’s Board of Directors on Tuesday named Richard Anderson as the company’s new president and chief executive officer.
Anderson will begin his tenure with Amtrak on July 12. The company said Anderson will serve in a co-CEO capacity with current CEO Wick Moorman through the end of the year, at which time he would assume full CEO duties.
Prior to joining Amtrak, Anderson was the executive chairman of Delta Airlines’ Board of Directors after serving as the company’s CEO from 2007 to 2016. He also served as executive vice president of United Healthcare from 2004 to 2007 and as the CEO of Northwest Airlines from 2001 to 2004.
“It is an honor to join Amtrak at a time when passenger rail service is growing in importance in America,” Anderson said. “I look forward to working alongside Amtrak’s dedicated employees to continue the improvements begun by Wick. Amtrak is a great company today, and I’m excited about using my experience and working with the board to make it even better.”
The move was welcomed by the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP), who said in a statement that the association was pleased Amtrak was bringing in an executive with strong management experience in a customer service-oriented transportation company.
“While Richard Anderson is not a ‘railroader,’ he is a transportation professional with leadership experience in a very complex environment,” the association said.
Anderson’s appointment was also met with praise from the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
“The AAR and its members welcome Richard Anderson in his new role as President and CEO of Amtrak, a vital passenger rail service to the United States. We look forward to working with Richard and welcoming him to the AAR Board of Directors,” AAR said in a statement.
Anderson earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston at Clear Lake City and a Juris Doctorate at the South Texas College of Law.