James R. Young is the current President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board for Union Pacific Railroad

Union Pacific Railroad

The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....

. Young has a wife, Shirley, and three children.

Youth and education

Young graduated from Omaha South High School

Omaha South High School

Omaha South High School is an Information Technology and Visual/Performing Arts magnet school which educates students in grades 9–12. It is one of the largest high school buildings in Nebraska....

 and the University of Nebraska at Omaha

University of Nebraska at Omaha

The University of Nebraska at Omaha is a four-year state university located in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Founded in 1908 as Omaha University, the institution became the public Municipal University of Omaha in 1931. It assumed its current name in 1968 following a merger into the University...

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On June 7, 2008, Young received a Doctorate

Doctorate

A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...

 of Commerce from Bellevue University

Bellevue University

Bellevue University is a private university located in Bellevue, Nebraska.-History:Creating a new college in Bellevue, Nebraska was No. 1 on the agenda for the Chamber of Commerce in June 1965. Local civic-leader and businessman Bill Brooks met with his fellow members of the chamber and lead the...

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Career

He began working for Union Pacific in 1978. Through a series of promotions he worked his way up the chain of command to be elected President of the railroad in January 2004. In February 2005, he was elected to the Board of Directors for the railroad, becoming Chairman in November 2005. On January 1, 2006, he succeeded Richard K. Davidson as CEO of Union Pacific Corporation, the parent company of Union Pacific Railroad.

Young assumed the additional role of Chairman of the Board of Directors as of February 1, 2007.