By Justin Franz 

Norfolk Southern President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Shaw was fired Wednesday after an investigation found that he had violated company policies when he engaged in a consensual relationship with the railroad’s chief legal officer. Shaw has been replaced by Mark R. George, who was previously the company’s executive vice president and chief financial officer. 

The railroad also announced Wednesday that its chief legal officer, Nabanita C. Nag, was also being terminated following the investigation. 

In a press release announcing the transition, officials noted that “Shaw’s departure is unrelated to the company’s performance, financial reporting and results of operations.” The board of directors voted unanimously to fire Shaw and appoint George as president and CEO. 

“The Board has full confidence in Mark and his ability to continue delivering on our commitments to shareholders and other stakeholders,” said Chairman Claude Mongeau. “Mark has played an integral role in our recent progress and brings decades of financial experience and strong operational expertise. He embodies our corporate values and is a champion of our safety culture. In close partnership with our accomplished COO, John Orr, they will continue to improve NS’ operating performance and close the margin gap with peers.”

“I am honored to take on this role and lead Norfolk Southern,” George said. “I look forward to my continued partnership with John and the entire Thoroughbred team as we further our progress on optimizing operations and serving our customers while creating a safe and satisfying workplace and delivering enhanced value for our employees, customers, shareholders, and communities.”

Word of an investigation into Shaw’s conduct began to spread over the weekend and was confirmed by NS on Sunday. Shaw had worked at NS for 30 years and became CEO in 2022.