Leadership Biographies

Alan Shaw is President and Chief Executive Officer at Norfolk Southern Corporation. Since 1827, Norfolk Southern has safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, its dedicated team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and is the largest rail shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S., serving a majority of the country’s population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes.

In his current role, Shaw oversees all areas of the company’s business, building a customer-centric and operations-driven organization. With 28 years of achievement at Norfolk Southern, he is one of the most respected leaders in the industry. Shaw has helped the company build the strongest intermodal franchise in the eastern U.S., positioning the railroad for growth in consumer-oriented, service-sensitive markets. He has also led support for numerous innovations in customer-facing technology, sustainability, and new product offerings.

Shaw joined Norfolk Southern in 1994 as a Cost Systems Analyst and steadily moved into positions of increasing responsibility. Throughout his career at the company he has served as Business Development Manager (1998-2003); Director and Group Vice President, Coal Transportation Services (2003-2009); Group Vice President Industrial Products/Chemicals (2009-2013); Vice President Intermodal Operations (2013-2015); and Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer (2015-2021).

Currently, Shaw serves on the board of directors of Norfolk Southern and the Metropolitan Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. He also sits on the board of trustees of Virginia Wesleyan University and Pace Academy in Atlanta, as well as the Roanoke College Parent Leadership Council.

Shaw earned a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering and an MBA in finance from Virginia Tech. He completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School and is a CFA charterholder.

Annie Adams is EVP and Chief Transformation Officer at Norfolk Southern Corporation. Since 1827, Norfolk Southern has safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, its dedicated team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and is the largest rail shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S., serving a majority of the country’s population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes.

Appointed EVP & Chief Transformation Officer in 2019, Adams has been driving transformation initiatives across Norfolk Southern and currently oversees the company’s Information Technology, Human Resources, Labor Relations, and Sustainability departments. She also led the cross-functional team tasked with relocating Norfolk Southern’s corporate headquarters to Atlanta, including the design and construction of its state-of-the-art $575 million campus, designed to boost collaboration and innovation.

Adams joined the company in 2001 as Manager Human Resources. Since then, she has served in HR and planning roles and was named Vice President Human Resources in March 2016.

Adams is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She serves on the boards of the Midtown Improvement District and the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta and Specialty Building Products in Duluth, Georgia.

Adams earned a bachelor’s in psychology from Davidson College, as well as a master’s and a Ph.D. in industrial/organizational psychology from Rice University. She also completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Ed Elkins is EVP and Chief Marketing Officer at Norfolk Southern Corporation. Since 1827, Norfolk Southern has safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, its dedicated team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and is the largest rail shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S., serving a majority of the country’s population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes.

Appointed Chief Marketing Officer in 2021, Elkins leads the company’s Intermodal, Automotive, and Industrial Products business divisions. He also manages the Real Estate, Industrial Development, Short Line Marketing, Field Sales, and Customer Logistics business groups.

After serving in the United States Marine Corps, Elkins was hired by Norfolk Southern as a Road Brakeman in 1988. He then served as a Conductor, Locomotive Engineer, and a Relief Yardmaster. Following his time in Operations, Elkins spent two decades in Intermodal Marketing. In 2016, Elkins was named Group Vice President of Chemicals Marketing, and in 2018, he was promoted to Vice President of Industrial Products.

Currently, Elkins serves on the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee and on the boards of directors of the National Association of Manufacturers and TTX Company. He also represents Norfolk Southern as an active member of the Traffic Clubs of Chicago, New York, and Pittsburgh and the North American Rail Shippers Association. Elkins also serves on the Georgia State University Marketing RoundTable and is a member of The Conference Board, Inc. on the Council for CMOs.

Elkins is a native of southwestern Virginia. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia’s College at Wise and an MBA from Old Dominion University with a concentration in Port & Maritime Economics. He also holds management certificates from Harvard Business School, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, and the University of Tennessee Supply Chain Institute.

Paul Duncan is Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at Norfolk Southern Corporation. Since 1827, Norfolk Southern has safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, its dedicated team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and is the largest rail shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S., serving a majority of the country’s population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes.

Appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2023, Duncan is responsible for leading the teams that design and implement the company’s service schedules, operate the trains that safely move customer’s goods, as well as maintain and upgrade infrastructure and equipment. Departments reporting to him include Network Planning and Optimization, Network Operations, Engineering, Advanced Train Control (Mechanical and C&S), Performance Excellence, Safety, Transportation, and the NS Police team.

Duncan has more than 20 years of railroading experience. He joined Norfolk Southern in 2022 as Vice President Network Planning & Operations and was promoted to Senior Vice President Transportation & Network Operations. He previously spent over 19 years at BNSF Railway, where he most recently served as Vice President of Service Design and Performance. He began his career at BNSF as a Hub Manager before holding several progressively responsible leadership positions in Intermodal Operations, Transportation, Network Operations, Capacity Planning, and Service Design.

Duncan serves on the boards of directors of the Belt Railway of Chicago, Indiana Harbor Belt, and Conrail.

Duncan earned a bachelor’s degree in transportation logistics from Iowa State University.

Mark George is EVP and Chief Financial Officer at Norfolk Southern Corporation. Since 1827, Norfolk Southern has safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, its dedicated team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and is the largest rail shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S., serving a majority of the country’s population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes.

Appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2019, George is responsible for overseeing the company’s Finance teams as well as Investor Relations, Sourcing, and Corporate Strategy teams. During his time at Norfolk Southern, he has enhanced the company’s focus on productivity and cost control – utilizing his expertise across multiple industrial segments to drive even greater financial success.

George has more than 30 years of experience in financial management, strategy, and business development. Before Norfolk Southern, he held successive roles of responsibility across multiple commercial and business segments of United Technologies Corporation and its subsidiaries, including six years in Asia as the regional CFO for the Otis Elevator Company. He ascended to and ultimately served as the Global CFO for both the Otis Elevator Company and the Carrier Corporation from 2008 to 2019.

George earned a bachelor’s in finance from Central Connecticut State University and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Nabanita Nag is EVP Corporate Affairs and Chief Legal Officer at Norfolk Southern Corporation. Since 1827, Norfolk Southern has safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, its dedicated team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and is the largest rail shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S., serving a majority of the country’s population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes.

Appointed Chief Legal Officer in 2022 and EVP Corporate Affairs in 2023, Nag is responsible for the company’s Audit and Compliance, Government Relations, Corporate Communications, Corporate Giving, and Legal departments. She first joined Norfolk Southern in 2020 as General Counsel Corporate, where her responsibilities included SEC reporting and compliance, corporate finance, corporate and board governance, shareholder engagement, labor and employment, and oversight for cybersecurity and data privacy matters.

Before Norfolk Southern, she served as Vice President & Corporate Counsel in the Financial Management Law Group at Prudential Financial. Prior to that role, Nag was Vice President & Associate General Counsel in the Finance & Corporate Legal Group at Goldman Sachs. She began her career as an associate at law firm Shearman & Sterling LLP.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Government and English from Georgetown University, and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.