Job history: Mariann oversees the full operation and performance of the Saint Paul Commodities' (SPC) rail fleet. Her role includes managing rail-car usage; securing and maintaining private rates with railroads; coordinating car qualifications; turning back unusable rail cars; and ensuring accurate and timely freight rates, diversions, mobile-repair units and rail-related communications.

Why she's influential as a leader: As director of rail operations, Mariann is an indispensable leader. Her expertise and strategic vision have strengthened SPC's operations and helped elevate industry standards. Her impact is felt not only through her own performance but through the team she has built and continuously develops. She is recognized for training and mentoring her staff to handle critical operational responsibilities, which ensures business continuity even in her absence.

Mariann's influence extends beyond the walls of SPC. Her depth of industry knowledge and willingness to adopt smarter, more efficient approaches help raise expectations for how rail logistics teams can and should operate. She plays an essential role in SPC's ability to benchmark processes against peers, which leads to continuous improvement and industry-level collaboration. Her participation in networking and exchange of cross-company knowledge makes her a valuable voice in advancing best practices within the rail community.