Norfolk Southern has promoted Will DeShazor to the position of Vice President of Intermodal and Automotive Operations, a move that reinforces the railroad’s focus on strengthening network performance and supporting future growth.
In his new role, DeShazor will report directly to Chief Operating Officer Brian Barr and oversee the company’s intermodal and automotive operations.
A Norfolk Southern veteran with 21 years of experience, DeShazor has held a variety of leadership positions across the railroad. Most recently, he served as Assistant Vice President of Network Optimization, where he was responsible for network planning, capacity modeling, terminal standards, commercial opportunity reviews and capital planning.
Announcing the appointment, Barr praised DeShazor’s leadership style and operational expertise.
“Will is a safety-first, hands-on, collaborative leader who consistently demonstrates operational discipline, deep field experience, and a practical understanding of what it takes to run a fast, resilient network,” Barr said. “His expertise positions him to connect network planning with execution in the field to help us continue improving service, supporting growth, and delivering for our customers.”
Before joining the network optimization team, DeShazor spent 17 years in transportation operations, including six years serving as terminal superintendent at three different hump yards.
He also previously held the position of Assistant Vice President of Intermodal and Automotive Terminal Operations, where he oversaw several major initiatives. Among them were the implementation of managed stacking operations at the Austell, Georgia, terminal and the conversion of Triple Crown RoadRailer operations to container service in Toledo, Ohio, and Kansas City.
DeShazor holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina, as well as a bachelor’s degree in economics and business from the Virginia Military Institute.
His appointment reflects Norfolk Southern’s continued investment in experienced operational leadership as the railroad works to enhance service reliability, improve network efficiency and support long-term customer growth.
