Job history: Jenny Kane joined Metra in fall 2020 as the manager for safety reporting and risk reduction. She wrote Metra's system safety plan and initiated implementation before being named senior project manager in charge of special projects. In her current role, she is responsible for Metra's rail contracts as well as the agency's largest special projects.

Why she's influential as a leader: Jenny cares deeply about safety, rail and making an impact. She spends time in the field meeting with employees and maintains relationships throughout the organization. She respects the employees and the work, their time and energy, and is always learning about how things are done on the railroad. This gives her credibility, which she uses to get things done. She's made positive changes to the organization, such as serving as project manager for Metra's takeover of commuter operations on three Union Pacific Railroad lines. She also rebuilt an ailing contract management group and created a team of people in charge of getting things done.