Expect CEO Joe Hinrichs to increase Jacksonville-based CSX Corp.’s profile in its headquarters city.
“We’ve talked about, as a leadership team, my expectation is that CSX should be very visible and should be very supportive of this community,” Hinrichs, 55, said Oct. 21, almost a month after he became CEO on Sept. 26.
“It’s where we’re based, it’s where our headquarters is. And I look forward to us being able to show that to the community,” he said.
“When you had the honor and privilege to hold a leadership position like this, it’s part of your responsibility to be a leader in the community and to give back and to show and to help that community. So I feel very strongly about that,” Hinrichs said.
He follows CSX CEOs Hunter Harrison and Jim Foote to lead CSX, a company known as a strong corporate community contributor.
Harrison, backed by the Mantle Ridge hedge fund, was brought into the leadership in March 2017 but died in December 2017, succeeded by Foote. Harrison had bought in Foote as COO and likely successor.
Foote supported business and civic efforts, including serving on the Jacksonville Civic Council. However, his leadership coincided with the coronavirus pandemic, which created business and workforce challenges for the railroad industry as well as public and community events.
Foote, who retired at 67, also was following through with Harrison’s Precision Scheduled Railroading system that was a major overhaul of CSX’s operations.
Before Harrison, the previous CEO was high-profile Michael Ward.
Ward, who retired in 2017, remains active in Jacksonville’s civic leadership.
He and his wife, Jennifer Glock, set up the Michael Ward and Jennifer Glock Foundation.
They have historically supported area organizations and efforts, including United Way of Northeast Florida, the Jacksonville Symphony, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, the University of North Florida and the Hubbard House domestic violence shelter, among more.
Hinrichs said he has not had time to focus on community leadership, but intends to do so.
“Part of this is I have a lot of learning to do about CSX and the industry,” he said.
“I’ve got to spend more time learning the business and getting to know our people upfront early.”
His LinkedIn profile shows Hinrichs, with an MBA from Harvard Business School, spent 19 years with Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford Motor Co., leaving in 2020 as automotive president. He also was with General Motors for nine years from 1989 to 1998.
He said he was actively involved in Southeast Michigan, including leadership in United Way, March of Dimes, Arthritis Foundation, Boy Scouts of America, and more.
For example, he led the 2018-20 United Way for Southeastern Michigan Community Giving Campaign.
“I did one a year because you space them out, but it also gave me a chance to learn about that organization,” he said.
“I would chair the campaign because you had influence and you had the ability to pull people together.”
Hinrichs said he also served on a CEO “kitchen cabinet” for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.
“I was honored to be a part of that. It was a small group of people like Roger Penske and Mary Barra from GM. I was actually a part of a small group that also helped advise Governor (Gretchen) Whitmer.”
Penske is chairman and founder of Penske Corp. Barra is chair and CEO of General Motors.
CSX is one of four Jacksonville-based companies on the Fortune 500 list of the country’s largest companies based on revenue.
It ranks No. 298, with 2021 revenue of $12.52 billion, after No. 238 Fidelity National Financial Inc. and No. 268 Fidelity National Information Services Inc. Landstar System is No. 491.
Hinrichs said CSX board member Steve Halverson, retired CEO of The Haskell Co. based in Jacksonville, has been a strong proponent of civic leadership.
“He’s been great and very supportive and so I’m looking forward to it,” Hinrichs said.
“It’s so gratifying and just so satisfying to be able to give back and to help,” he said.