Alaska Railroad Executive Team
Christopher Aadnesen, President/CEO
Christopher Aadnesen is the Alaska Railroad’s President & CEO. He assumed this post in mid-September 2010. Just prior (2007-2010), Aadnesen worked for HNTB Corporation, a nationwide consulting firm. Based in Austin, Texas, Aadnesen led national freight rail services for all seven of the U.S. Class One railroads.
From 2004 to 2007, Aadnesen was CEO and chairman of the management board for Estonian Railways (ER). Like ARRC, ER provides passenger and freight services and is owned by a government (privatized in 2001, ER ownership was sold back to the country in a year-long process overseen by Aadnesen). In 1996, Aadnesen founded Capitol City Group, a consulting firm in Austin. Actively participating through 2009, Aadnesen specialized in rail transportation and logistics, management, strategic and business planning, and quality systems development.
From 1996 to 2000, Aadnesen held several executive positions for the Texas Mexican Railway and TFM (the first privatized Class One section of the old Mexican National Railway), including COO and executive VP. The two decades prior (1973-1995), Aadnesen was employed by the Union Pacific (UP) working with nearly every department involved with railroad management.
Aadnesen earned a bachelor’s degree and a master of business administration degree from the University of Utah. Subsequently, he completed University of Pittsburgh and Harvard University executive management programs.
Tom Brooks, Vice President Engineering and Chief Engineer
Tom Brooks has been with the Alaska Railroad since 1986. He has held a number of positions responsible for track, bridge and facility operation and improvements. Currently, he is responsible for the Track, Bridge, and Capital Projects departments. Prior to joining the ARRC, Tom worked 10 years as a Project and Construction Manager for various oil companies in Alaska.
Brooks is a member of the American Railway and Maintenance Association, where he is a member of Committee 11, Intercity Rail. He is also a local member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers.
Brooks earned bachelor’s and a master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University, and a master of Business Administration degree from the University of Washington.
William Hupprich, Vice President & General Counsel
William "Bill" R. Hupprich was named Vice President & General Counsel of the Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) on January 1, 2011. In this position, Hupprich manages and directs the legal and risk management affairs of the corporation and oversees a five-person legal department. Hupprich joined ARRC in January 1988 as the Senior Attorney for Commercial/Financial Affairs and was promoted to Deputy General Counsel in May 1991. Prior to joining ARRC he was engaged in private law practice in Anchorage (from 1983 to 1988) and in Washington State (from 1981 to 1983).
Hupprich is a second generation Alaskan and earned a bachelor of science degree in business from Arizona State University and a J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon.
James W. Kubitz, Vice President, Real Estate & Facilities
Jim Kubitz joined the Alaska Railroad Corporation in 1998 as Director of Project Planning and moved to VP of Real Estate six months later. A 45 year resident of Anchorage, he served on the Anchorage Municipal Assembly from 1986-1993. A graduate of Willamette University with a BA in Economics, he owned and operated a general contracting company, Kubitz Construction for 15 years. More recently, he owned Kubitz & Co. a commercial real brokerage firm in Anchorage. He still holds a Broker's License in the State of Alaska.
He has served on the Alaska Tourism Marketing Council, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation.
Mr. Kubitz is married to Susan Urig, an attorney and they have four children, Maxwell, Alexander, Elizabeth and Grace.
Wendy Lindskoog, Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Wendy Lindskoog has been with the Alaska Railroad since 1999. As Vice President of Corporate Affairs, she manages the railroad’s government and communication strategy, corporate governance, community relations, and philanthropy efforts. As Secretary to the Railroad Board of Directors, she is responsible for all corporate actions of the Board, coordination of the Board's responsibilities and scheduling of their meetings.
Just prior to joining the Alaska Railroad, Lindskoog was the Communications Director for the Alaska State Senate. Previously, she was part owner of a regional publication; the marketing and group sales manager for a California ski resort; and in high school and college, she worked for a small placer mining operation.
Lindskoog earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She currently serves as president for the Resource Development Council for Alaska, and is past chair for the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce and Alaska 20/20.
Lindskoog and her husband, Jim Cardwell, reside in Anchorage along with their daughter Tindra Cardwell.
William G. O'Leary, Chief Finance Officer and VP Finance
William G. O'Leary is the Vice President of Finance and Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of the Alaska Railroad, a position he accepted in July 2001. From April 1 - September 22, 2010, O'Leary also served as Interim President & CEO.
As CFO, O'Leary is responsible for the financial activities of the corporation as well as the human resource and supply management functions.
A Certified Public Accountant, O'Leary has worked in a variety of financial positions since 1988, including that of Controller of the Alaska International Airport System, the position he held before his current appointment.
A lifelong Alaskan, O'Leary holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Alaska - Fairbanks.
Eileen Reilly, Vice President, Chief Information and Technology Officer
Eileen Reilly joined the Alaska Railroad in January 1996 as Information Services Manager and was promoted to Vice President in 2001. She is responsible for overseeing a number of different departments including Information Services, Technology, Signal and Telecommunications. Reilly worked as a System Engineer for IBM for 10 years implementing data processing systems throughout the state of Alaska.
Reilly joined the Alaska Railroad to provide leadership in the effort to use technology to achieve the corporate goals, which include improved safety, customer service and efficient operations. Reilly was assigned Project Management responsibilities for the railroad's implementation of Positive Train Control (known as Collision Avoidance System) in 1997 and leads this effort today. This effort has included moving the dispatch function from paper track warrants to a computer-aided dispatch system that now support CTC and enhanced-DTC methods of operations. During this time, Reilly managed the Alaska Railroad's first implementation of CTC signalization on the Anton Anderson Tunnel, Whittier, Alaska, which is North America’s longest shared highway/railroad tunnel with operations that began in the summer of 2000.
Reilly earned a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Rutgers University. She has been a resident of Alaska since 1981
Pat Shake, Vice President of Transportation and Mechanical
Pat Shake began his Alaska Railroad career in 1974 as a fireman/hostler. In 1976 he was promoted to locomotive engineer and served in that capacity until 1981 when he accepted a management position as Trainmaster/ Roadforman of Engines.
In 1991 he was promoted to Superintendent of Transportation. In 2008 he was promoted to Assistant Vice President of Transportation and recently promoted to Vice President of Transportation / Mechanical.
Shake is a member of the International Association of Railroad Operating Officers and the American Association of Railroad Superintendents.
Shake is a third generation Alaska Railroad employee. He and his wife Colleen were born in Anchorage and have two children, Matt and Jessica.
Dale Wade, Vice President, Business Development
Dale Wade joined the Alaska Railroad as VP Business Development in early January 2012. He is a 30-year veteran of the freight transportation industry, involved in all aspects of freight service logistics, sales and marketing. Most recently Wade was Founder and President of GoldStar Logistics Solutions in Anchorage. Previous experience includes managing director and transportation consultant for AFMS Transportation Management in Portland, Oregon; national account executive for FedEx Corporation in Anchorage; and sales manager for CF Freight in Anchorage.
Wade served as a vice president with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) Anchorage Chapter. He studied Business Administration at the University of Anchorage Alaska with a focus on sales and strategic negotiations. Born in Racine, Wisconsin, Wade moved to Alaska in 1978.