Alexander K. Kummant (born 1962)[1] was named byAmtrak on August 29, 2006, as the railroad company's newpresident andchief executive officer effective September 12 of that year. He succeededDavid L. Gunn in this position who was dismissed in November 2005, andDavid Hughes who had been serving as interim president.Kummant submitted his resignation from Amtrak on November 14, 2008.[2][3] He graduated fromCase Western Reserve University's engineering school in 1982.[4]
Before working for Amtrak, Kummant had worked as an executive forUnion Pacific Railroad (UP) where he fulfilled several Vice President roles.[5] After UP, Kummant also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer ofKomatsu America Corporation.[6] Before that, he was president ofBOMAG, theGerman manufacturer ofroad rollers and other construction material compacting equipment.[7]
As Amtrak president and CEO, Kummant was more conciliatory towards the survival of Amtrak in its current form than Congressional Republicans had been during the early 2000s. During his term, he did not support Congressional proposals to split theNortheast Corridor (the segment from Boston to Richmond) from the rest of Amtrak's operations; nor did he envision shedding the long distance east-west routes of Amtrak.[8]
Kummant submitted his resignation on November 14, 2008. Upon his resignation, AmtrakCOOWilliam Crosbie assumed the role of interim CEO, but was succeeded on November 25 by formerFRA administratorJoseph H. Boardman.[2][3]
Don Phillips claims that inside sources indicate that Kummant did not in fact resign voluntarily, but was made to quit because of a dispute with the board of directors about debt restructuring.[9]
In October 2012, Kummant was recruited byQR National in Australia, becoming Executive Vice President Strategy.[10]
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President ofAmtrak 2006 – 2008 | Succeeded by William Crosbie (interim),Joseph H. Boardman |
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