Panama Canal Railway names new president

(progressiverailroading.com) On Friday, Kansas City Southern and Mi-Jack Products Inc. announced they appointed Thomas Kenna president and director general of the Panama Canal Railway Co. (PCRC) to succeed David Starling, who took over as president and chief operating officer of KCS after Arthur Shoener resigned.

Kenna has 25 years of senior-level management and marketing experience in the maritime industry and international multi-modal transport industries. He joined PCRC in 2000 and has served as director of marketing. Kenna previously held various high-level positions, ranging from director of marketing to general manager to president, at Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM and other major shipping lines.

Kenna helped boost PCRC's annual freight volume from 16,000 containers in 2001 to nearly 225,000 units in 2007 to a projected 363,000 containers in 2008, said Mi-Jack President Michael Lanigan in a prepared statement.

PCRC is a jointly owned by KCS and Mi-Jack. The railroad operates a 47-mile line through a concession granted by the Republic of Panama.