Eastern Railroad Discussion > What Does 19 Positions in 34 Years Say About A Person?

If you go to the CSXT corporate webpage, you will see that Tony Ingram held 19 different positions in the 34 years that he worked for NS. Now, is that to be considered "upwardly mobile" or "grossly ineffective"? How do you perceive this "work experience"?

It is not at all unusual to hold lots of different positions over the course of one's career in most large corporations. The fact that he worked 19 different positions in a single company suggest upward mobility. Generally incompetent people will be forced out well before they get through 19 positions.

I HIGHLY doubt that NS has 19 levels of personnel. Most were probably lateral positions changes. That may have been because he was needed to get something done, or else to get him out because he hadn't done anything, but, obviously he climbed the ladder. Not that some people don't ever climb for reasons other than their abilities.

I don't know anything about his abilities or history but generally if someone is on the "fast track" (i.e. potential upper management material) then they will work in many different areas to gain the overall knowledge of the business. So I don't think 19 positions in 34 years of service is out of the ordinary for someone at his level. My $.02.

Joel

gp39 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you go to the CSXT corporate webpage, you will
> see that Tony Ingram held 19 different positions
> in the 34 years that he worked for NS. Now, is
> that to be considered "upwardly mobile" or
> "grossly ineffective"? How do you perceive this
> "work experience"?
>

If you have been reading Mike Ongerth's Mad Dog Chronicles, in the Nostalgia section you would see that he probably held that many positions with Espee. If you haven't read them you should.

The trouble is that the degree of mobility experienced by MDO (and Tony I) within the rail sector is not all that common outside the rail sector.

Do you really think that executive-track employees at companies like Kodak, Coca-Cola, Sara Lee, or Black & Decker see 19 different jobs in their career with one company? No.

KevinD Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The trouble is that the degree of mobility
> experienced by MDO (and Tony I) within the rail
> sector is not all that common outside the rail
> sector.
>
> Do you really think that executive-track employees
> at companies like Kodak, Coca-Cola, Sara Lee, or
> Black & Decker see 19 different jobs in their
> career with one company? No.
>
>


It is entirely common for executives being groomed for the top levels to be rotated around different parts of the company. Obviously there are different jobs within the operating departments---division supers, assistant division supers, yardmaster, trainmaster---then also in the support areas, like engineering, mechanical, marketing, finance, human resources. Execs identified as potential CEO material will spend time working in virtually every department.

As to the some of the consumer companies listed by Kevin, they're not as complex as a railroad. Coca-Cola, for example, doesn't even make the stuff. They just market it. The organizational chart is extremely simple.

BobE

Surely they make the concentrate and perhaps the syrup.

1970 - 1971 Management Trainee Engineering Department Atlanta Ga.
1971 - 1972 Track Supervisor Engineering Haleyville Al.
1972 - 1973 Labor Relations Officer Atlanta Ga.
1973 - 1974 Assistant Trainmaster Birmingham Al.
1974 - 1975 Trainmaster Wilton Al.
1975 - 1976 Trainmaster Louisville Ky.
1976 - 1979 Trainmaster Somerset Ky.
1979 - 1983 Assistant Superintendent Knoxville Tn.
1983 - 1984 Assistant Superintendent Sheffield Al.
1984 - 1985 Superintendent Andover Va.
1985 - 1987 Superintendent Moberly Mo.
1987 - 1991 Superintendent Fort Wayne In.
1991 - 1993 Superintendent Bluefield W.Va.
1993 Superintendent Birmingham Al.
1993 - 1997 General Manager-Eastern Region Atlanta Ga.
1997 - 1999 General Manager-Staff Philadelphia Pa.
1999 - 2000 General Manager-Northern Region Harrisburg Pa.
2000 - 2003 Vice President Transportation - Operations Norfolk
2003 - 2004 Senior Vice President-Transportation Network & Mechanical

From reading this I only see 9 or 10 different positions..more than anything he moved around quite a bit, which is normal on a railroad for those wanting to go up in the company. Nothing really odd about any of this. Another wonderful part of why railroads don't work like they used to, mangement moves around so much that by the time they learn their territory, they move on and the next one comes in.

JAChooChoo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > 1970 - 1971 Management Trainee Engineering
> Department Atlanta Ga.
> 1971 - 1972 Track Supervisor Engineering
> Haleyville Al.
> 1972 - 1973 Labor Relations Officer Atlanta Ga.
> 1973 - 1974 Assistant Trainmaster Birmingham Al.
> 1974 - 1975 Trainmaster Wilton Al.
> 1975 - 1976 Trainmaster Louisville Ky.
> 1976 - 1979 Trainmaster Somerset Ky.
> 1979 - 1983 Assistant Superintendent Knoxville
> Tn.
> 1983 - 1984 Assistant Superintendent Sheffield
> Al.
> 1984 - 1985 Superintendent Andover Va.
> 1985 - 1987 Superintendent Moberly Mo.
> 1987 - 1991 Superintendent Fort Wayne In.
> 1991 - 1993 Superintendent Bluefield W.Va.
> 1993 Superintendent Birmingham Al.
> 1993 - 1997 General Manager-Eastern Region Atlanta
> Ga.
> 1997 - 1999 General Manager-Staff Philadelphia
> Pa.
> 1999 - 2000 General Manager-Northern Region
> Harrisburg Pa.
> 2000 - 2003 Vice President Transportation -
> Operations Norfolk
> 2003 - 2004 Senior Vice President-Transportation
> Network & Mechanical
>

I'd see these specific jobs as very positive. Moving from progressively smaller to larger yards, then up to superintendent in larger shops, and into bigger jobs. I'll bet some of these jobs were real messes when he arrived, and fewer were real messes when he left. In management, that would be considered a success.

Now, the $64 question. Do people who worked with him believe he improved or hurt the specific yards and districts based on what they were like when he arrived and when he left?

I've worked in four companies over the past 25 years, and had three significantly different roles (operations, sales, marketing management) in my career. Like Tony, I had a few bosses who put me into messes to fix them, and forced me make tough decisions.

Don't see anything wrong with Tony's record. If you have aspirations of climbing the corporate ladder, you'll not stay in your cubicle for 25 years. Give him an A+ for having some get up and go. That's not seen in lots of employees in any company.

To move upward in the corporate hierarchy, it's good to have a sponsor. Looks like he may have had one. Also, be careful who you tick off today as they may be your boss tomorrow.