(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
BNSF Railway chairman Matthew Rose has announced that he will step down and retire in April of 2019.
At the end of his tenure, Rose will have been Executive Chairman for six years, and BNSF Chief Executive Officer for the prior 13 years. He also served in senior leadership for marketing and operations before assuming the CEO role in 2000.
During his tenure as CEO, he helped guide the acquisition of BNSF by Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) in 2009.
“It was a very lucky day for me and for Berkshire Hathaway when I met Matt Rose,” said Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. “Under Matt’s management, BNSF has become a major source of profit and pride for Berkshire. And, as a citizen, Matt has been an exemplar for corporate leadership.”
“I have been incredibly fortunate to work alongside some of the most talented people in the transportation industry,” said Rose. “Through my 26 years at BNSF – 19 in leadership – I have seen enormous change in our economy. Our company has navigated those changes well and now is extremely well positioned for the next several decades. It has been an honor to lead this organization, as a publicly traded company and also as part of BRK.”
© 2018 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.