Rising Stars 2026: Derek Maier

Derek Maier, 37
Senior director – engineering fleet acquisition
Amtrak 

Nominator’s quote: “Derek is one of the best leaders I have ever come across in my career. Derek is always calm, cool and collected in any stressful environment while providing clear and concise direction that is always accurate.” — Michael, Kraft, Amtrak

Education: Bachelor and Masters of mechanical engineering, University of Delaware; Professional Engineer license.

Job responsibilities: Leads teams responsible for designing, testing, and commissioning the new Airo trainset fleet as well as setting up the maintenance and fleet management program once the trains enter service.

Briefly describe your career path.
I started as an engineering intern with Amtrak while I was still pursuing my degrees. Following my graduation, I started full time with Amtrak as a mechanical engineer at the Bear, Delaware, backshop focused mainly on supporting the Amfleet overhauls. I then took a position in Sunnyside, New York, where I provided engineering support for the east coast passenger car fleets.

I briefly worked as the fleet manager for the bi-level cars and west coast car fleets before transitioning to the fleet management of the east coast passenger car fleets, where I spent six years. That position gave me significant exposure to Amtrak’s operations and fleet performance, which set me up well to transition into my role with the Airo program — the replacement program for a large portion of that single level fleet.

What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
I got my first job teaching swim lessons and lifeguarding at my high school pool as soon as I was able to at 14. My parents believed that working from a young age would allow me to further my work ethic and discipline. It also set me up well for future opportunities, providing a base to expand from during my independence at college and beyond in my career.

What sparked your interest in the rail industry? What told you it could be a place for you to thrive?
I worked an internship with Amtrak and found that I loved the balance in the work, being able to spend some days getting my hands dirty and others working behind a computer using the engineering principles I had learned. The mix of the two environments, and oftentimes needing to act as the bridge between the two, was incredibly appealing to me. Plus, I’ve grown to love traveling by train and the more I can do to support it as an appealing, environmentally friendly option in the U.S., the better.

What’s one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned in your career?
Find your customer. In engineering roles, it’s often the case that your work doesn’t directly involve interface with the end-user. Instead, as a support role for other teams, it’s more important to find your internal customer, the people within the business you support, and ensure you’re meeting their needs to help the collective team operate better.

What are your passions outside of work?
I’m a father of two and an active rock climber. I haven’t been outdoor climbing as much since my sons were born, but my wife and I still climb twice a week and my oldest is starting to get into it, as well.

How do you plan to keep making an impact in your corner of the industry?
The Airo trainsets represent a major opportunity for redefining passenger rail in the U.S. and for Amtrak. Continuing to work with the team rolling that fleet out is my most immediate focus.

What's the biggest challenge confronting the rail industry today?
Public adoption. While we continue to see strong growth in passenger ridership across the industry, better public adoption leads to more support, more lobbying, more funding — all of which lead to expansion and improvements, which then reinforce more adoption and continue the cycle.