If Anyone Can Drive This Rail Deal, It’s Jim Vena: Thomas Black (3)

Union Pacific Corp., which has agreed to acquire Norfolk Southern Corp. in a cash-and-stock deal that values the company at about $72 billion, is running about as well as railroads do. This is in large part thanks to Jim Vena, who took over as chief executive officer in August 2023.

This will be a critical part of the sales pitch for Union Pacific to persuade the Surface Transportation Board, which regulates railroads, to approve a deal that will precipitate a final round of consolidation for the industry. For those investors who champion moving forward on the final chapter of ...