Job history: Krista has spent 17 years at the intersection of NS' operations and technology. She began as a management trainee in customer service; she later moved into a series of roles across operations and service support, transportation systems, customer operations and marketing. In her current role since July 2023, Krista leads a team of 11 product owners responsible for the digital tools used across terminals and by train crews. Her team focuses on transforming field needs into practical, user-centered technology solutions, modernizing legacy systems and improving the tools that support safe and efficient train operations.

Why she's influential in technology: Krista's leadership has strengthened the way NS develops, delivers and sustains the technology that supports transportation, which is the core of railroad operations. Her work has centered on improving how the railroad uses information to serve customers and operate the network more effectively. One key area of her impact is the modernization of mobile train reporting.

While the underlying technology is not new, Krista guided a full refresh of the user experience to reduce load times and cut the number of clicks required to complete tasks. Additionally, she has played a pivotal role in updating legacy systems and manages the system that creates train plans and routes rail cars across the NS network. This tool is vital to the operations department and Network Operations Center and is leveraged companywide for insightful data. Her career has consistently centered on improving how the railroad uses information to serve customers and run the network effectively.