In a planned transition, Roger Harris (above) will step down as president of Amtrak on July 31, at which point William “Byl” Herrmann will lead the company as interim president while Amtrak’s board of directors conducts a search for a permanent chief executive officer.
[Above photo by Amtrak]
Herrmann – a 27-year veteran of Amtrak – currently serves as executive vice president, chief legal and human resources officer, and corporate secretary; a role he assumed in October 2024.
Hermann, who originally joined the Amtrak law department in 1999, also previously served as vice president of human resources.
Before joining Amtrak, he focused on labor and employment law and policy with the American Trucking Associations and the New York City Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a pre-law concentration from Ohio University and a Juris Doctor from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
[Editor’s note: Sean Duffy, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, recently unveiled the new “Freedom250-themed” NextGen Acela train that celebrates America’s upcoming 250th anniversary and 55 years of Amtrak service.]
Harris – who joined Amtrak in 2019 – assumed the role of president in July 2022. During his leadership tenure, Amtrak achieved several significant milestones, including record levels of ridership and revenue, the launch of NextGen Acela and Mardi Gras service, and the advancement of major capital projects such as Portal North Bridge.
Prior to being named president, Harris served as Amtrak’s executive vice president for marketing and revenue and chief commercial officer.
In that role he managed the railway’s marketing, loyalty, ecommerce, product development and pricing & revenue management functions, along with the Northeast Corridor, as well as Amtrak’s state-supported and long-distance service lines.
Before coming to Amtrak, Harris served as senior vice president of revenue, distribution & alliances for Aeroméxico, Mexico’s flag carrier and largest airline. While at Aeroméxico, he helped transform the commercial organization and prepare the company for deregulation and Open Skies between the U.S. and Mexico.
Harris had also held leadership roles in commercial and strategic functions at Delta Air Lines, Sun Country Airlines, GMAC Financial Services, Northwest Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
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