Matthew McClaren was appointed Vice-President, Transportation Southern Region in May 2025. He is responsible for overseeing rail operations across CN’s Southern Region in the United States, which stretches from Mobile, AL and New Orleans to Ranier, MN and Port Huron, MI. His focus is on delivering safe, reliable, and efficient service across this area of CN’s North American network.
With more than 25 years of experience at CN, Matthew is a seasoned leader whose in-depth knowledge of railroad operations and strong relationship-building abilities have played a key role in developing high-performing teams and embedding a culture of safety across the Company. Before moving into management, he started out in field operations as a conductor and yard supervisor. He then advanced to more senior positions in field operations, which led to progressive roles in Network Operations, including General Manager.
In 2021, Matthew was appointed Chief Mechanical Officer – Car, where he was responsible for the inspection, maintenance, asset planning, and safety of CN’s railcar fleet across the network. He then advanced to Assistant Vice President, Safety, and subsequently to Vice-President, Safety and Environment.
In 2025, Matthew was appointed to the Board of Directors of Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit organization and nationally-recognized leader of rail safety education.
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