Spring 2012 Commencement Speaker

Michael J. Ward

Michael WardMichael J. Ward was named chairman and chief executive officer of CSX Corporation, one of the nation’s premier transportation and logistics companies, in January 2003. Over his 35-year career, Mr. Ward has headed CSX Transportation’s operations, coal sales and marketing, and finance departments.
Under Mr. Ward’s leadership, the company continues to achieve record safety performance while providing outstanding service to customers and posting record financial results.

The company’s commitment to safety and preparing its network for long-term freight demand is demonstrated by its planned 2012 capital investment of $2.25 billion and its announced intentions to invest an average of 18% of its revenues back into its business through 2015.

A native of Baltimore, Md., Mr. Ward’s commitment to personal philanthropy and corporate citizenship was recognized last year with City Year’s prestigious Lifetime of Idealism Award. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1972, and received a master’s degree in business administration from the Harvard Business School in 1976. Mr. Ward is chairman of the Association of American Railroads, and serves on the boards of Ashland Inc., City Year, United Way of Northeast Florida, and Hubbard House. His other business affiliations include The Florida Council of 100 and The Business Roundtable.

CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., owns one of the nation’s leading transportation companies, providing rail, intermodal, and rail-to-truck transload services that connect 70 ocean, river, and lake ports, as well as more than 240 short line and regional railroads. Its principal operating company, CSX Transportation, Inc., which has approximately 30,000 employees, operates the largest railroad in the eastern United States with a 21,000-mile rail network linking commercial markets in 23 states, the District of Columbia, and two Canadian provinces. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at www.csx.com. Follow CSX on Twitter and Facebook.