Railinc CEO West to retire in July, be succeeded by Smemoe

Railinc CEO and President Allen West plans to retire in July. To ensure a smooth leadership transition, the company on April 1 promoted Joan Smemoe to president. West has served as Railinc's president and CEO since 2006. 

Smemoe will work closely with West until his retirement and then assume full responsibility of the company, overseeing day-to-day operations across the organization.

She has worked at Railinc for 20 years, most recently serving as chief information officer. Smemoe has held a series of senior leadership roles in which she oversaw the company's technology strategy, platforms and infrastructure. Under her guidance, the company has modernized its systems and maintained reliability and security, Railinc officials said in a press release.

Smemoe is the right person to lead Railinc after he retires, West said in the press release.

"Railinc has an incredibly talented team and a strong reputation for delivering solutions the industry depends on every day," said Smemoe. "I’m excited to build on that foundation, continue serving our customers and support our teams as we evolve to meet the future needs of the North American freight-rail industry."