Rising Stars 2026: Omar Shakoor

Omar Shakoor, 39 
General director of operations
Railspire

Nominator’s quote: “In my 35 years in the rail industry, Omar stands out as one of the most dedicated and common-sense leaders I have worked with. His work ethic, integrity and grounded decision-making make him a natural leader, and a strong representative of the next generation of rail executives. ... He's constantly working towards everyone's success, never just his own. He cares like very few people I've encountered in this industry.” — Connie Nordhues-Bieber, Railspire

Education: Bachelor of Science in aeronautics, with a minor in management, from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Master of Science in logistics and supply chain management with certification from the American Production & Inventory Control Society as a certified logistician, from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

Job responsibilities: Responsible for executing Railspire’s strategic vision, with tactical oversight over all company operations. Maintains subject-matter expertise on the full spectrum of railroad operations. Leads the field deployment of products to end customers; owns the entire operational life cycle, including customer relationship, system installation, customer field testing, training and full-scale commercial product adoption into railroad operations.

Briefly describe your career path.
I joined a western Class I as a company officer right of out the U.S. Army in the fall of 2012; I served in operational leadership roles in Montana, California, North Dakota and Nebraska. I transitioned to the corporate headquarters in December of 2018 and held various leadership roles overseeing the entire rail network respective to operations — locomotives, strategic sourcing, and marketing and sales. In my last role at the Class I, I owned a portfolio of industrial-product customers within the aggregate commodity segment. In 2023, my portfolio set the all-time volume and revenue record in the 150-year history of the railroad. I departed from the railroad in March 2024 and joined the leadership team at Railspire the next day as general director of operations.

What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
My first paid job was at 16, working the aircraft ramp — fueling, towing and cleaning aircraft at a terribly busy general aviation fixed base operator in Centennial, Colorado. I learned that I absolutely loved transportation, and that you must sacrifice your time and comfort to get better in the things you enjoy, especially if you want to grow your knowledge base. I also learned a great deal of patience while fueling corporate jets in the middle of brutal Colorado winters. Fast-forward 10 years later (six of which were spent in the Army) to my first job in the railroad industry as a foreman of locomotives. The same skills and mindset helped me adjust to the record-breaking blistering cold environment of northeastern Montana.

What sparked your interest in the rail industry? What told you it could be a place for you to thrive?
I was approached at a military career fair by a western Class I recruiter while I was still on active duty in the Army. I knew extraordinarily little about the railroad, only that I had loved locomotives since I was a child. He invited me ... to test and interview for a direct entry management program for military personnel. I took leave and flew to [their] headquarters for a two-day recruiting event, where we took several hours of written aptitude tests and personality assessments followed by a medical review [and a] board-style panel interview with four senior company officers. I gave direct and concise answers to the panel’s questions, as I knew next to nothing about the inside workings of a railroad, other than what I had read in books. I honestly thought I had done a bad job in the interview, as I answered their questions with what I thought were non-rail answers, such as placing safety as my most important value.

I remember on the flight back, thinking how I would not be hearing back from them, and [chalking] it up to an interesting interview experience. Approximately 15 days later, I received a call from the Class I, offering me an entry-level management position as a company officer in the operations-mechanical department. Much to my surprise, the HR director shared that they would wait for me to finish my time in the Army, as I had another five months left. True to her word, twice a month she would call to check in and see how things were going and provided tremendous support once I transitioned out of the Army and into the railroad in the fall of 2012. From that very first introduction, I knew that I had found a great industry to be a part of; I have thrived with the amazing privileges and experiences the railroad industry has provided.

What’s one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned in your career?
Always stand by your core values, without compromise, no matter the circumstances or stress levels. I live by my core values, with safety and integrity being on top of the list. If you make a mistake, which is only natural when you are learning a new role, always own your mistakes. I have made mistakes in my career and learned from each one, thankfully not repeating them more than once, but always taking full responsibility and ownership.

What are your passions outside of work?
I am passionate about aviation. I also run a YouTube channel with content on transportation. When time allows me, I enjoy spending time with my family and traveling around the country and world. I am a background actor in TV/Film and commercials and hope to continue with more acting work as my schedule allows it.

How do you plan to keep making an impact in your corner of the industry?
Leading in a rail AI technology start-up by its nature is like operating in the proverbial western frontier, with respect to paving the path forward for the safe technological advancement of our industry. My efforts are explicitly setting up the railroad industry to be equipped to compete against other transport modes using AI in the economic arena of freight transportation. At the turn of the last century, the North American railroads had historically been the tip of the spear with respect to technological advancements, but at scale, it presently does not feel that way. We must safely keep moving forward in advancing technology or risk of losing certain freight segments to other modes.

What's the biggest challenge confronting the rail industry today?
The three biggest challenges are: fuel volatility, the energy cost to run locomotives; labor, a dramatic change in the new generations’ labor expectations respective to the nature of railroading in the field; and internal stagnated bureaucracy, an inability to be nimble or adapt to change due to conflicting metric goals in severely siloed railroad departments.