Norfolk Southern Ceo Fired For Consensual Relationship With Railroads Chief Legal Officer

## CEO of Norfolk Southern fired over relationship with company lawyer *** On Friday, Norfolk Southern's CEO, Alan Shaw, was terminated from his position following an investigation into an alleged consensual relationship with the company's chief legal officer, Deborah Butler. The company’s board of directors unanimously voted to fire Mr. Shaw and accepted Ms. Butler's resignation. *** Shaw had been with the company for 15 years and had served as CEO since 2015. Ms. Butler joined the company in 2019 and was appointed chief legal officer in 2022. *** The investigation was launched in February after the board received an anonymous complaint alleging that the two executives were engaged in a romantic relationship. The investigation found that the relationship violated the company's code of conduct, which prohibits personal relationships between supervisors and subordinates. *** The company's board of directors said in a statement that it was "disappointed" by the findings of the investigation and that it "takes matters of ethics and integrity very seriously." *** The firing of Shaw and the resignation of Butler are the latest in a series of high-profile departures from Norfolk Southern in recent months. In January, the company's chief operating officer, Mike Wheeler, resigned after less than a year on the job. *** The departures come at a time when Norfolk Southern is facing a number of challenges, including the ongoing investigation into the derailment of a train in East Palestine, Ohio, in February, which released toxic chemicals into the environment. *** The company is also facing pressure from investors to improve its safety record, amid growing concerns about the increasing number of train derailments, including the one in East Palestine, Ohio. ### What's next for Norfolk Southern? *** With the CEO and chief legal officer gone, Norfolk Southern is now led by Jamie Boychuk, the company's executive vice president and chief financial officer. Boychuk has been with the company for 25 years and is expected to serve as interim CEO while the board of directors searches for a permanent replacement for Shaw.