Ed Elkins (Claude Edward Elkins Jr.): Norfolk Southern Chief Commercial Officer
Claude Edward Elkins Jr., known as Ed Elkins, is Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Norfolk Southern Corporation. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran who joined Norfolk Southern in 1988 as a road brakeman, he rose through train operations and intermodal marketing to lead the railroad’s Intermodal, Automotive and Industrial Products businesses.
| Full name | Claude Edward Elkins Jr. (professionally: Ed Elkins) |
| Current role | Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Norfolk Southern Corporation (appointed chief marketing officer in 2021; now titled chief commercial officer) |
| Joined Norfolk Southern | 1988, as a road brakeman (after U.S. Marine Corps service) |
| Prior roles | Conductor; locomotive engineer; relief yardmaster; two decades in Intermodal Marketing; Group Vice President, Chemicals Marketing (2016); Vice President, Industrial Products (2018) |
| Portfolio now | Intermodal, Automotive and Industrial Products; plus Real Estate, Industrial Development, Short Line Marketing, Field Sales and Customer Logistics |
| Education | Bachelor’s degree in English, University of Virginia’s College at Wise; MBA, Old Dominion University, concentration in Port & Maritime Economics; General Management Program, Harvard Business School |
| Origin | Native of Southwest Virginia |
| Boards and associations | Vice Chair, Georgia Chamber of Commerce; board of directors, National Association of Manufacturers and TTX Company; Georgia State University Marketing RoundTable; member, The Conference Board Council for CMOs |
| Date of birth, age, family, residence, salary and net worth | Not publicly known or confirmed |
Contents
Early Life and Educational Foundation
Ed Elkins is a native of Southwest Virginia. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, and later an MBA from Old Dominion University, with a concentration in Port & Maritime Economics. He also completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Career Beginnings at Norfolk Southern Corporation
After serving in the United States Marine Corps, Elkins joined Norfolk Southern in 1988 as a road brakeman. A native of Southwest Virginia, he then worked as a conductor, locomotive engineer and relief yardmaster, gaining first-hand experience of daily railroad operations before moving into marketing.
Rise Through Marketing and Operations Leadership
Following his time in train operations, Elkins spent two decades in Intermodal Marketing. In 2016, he was named Group Vice President, Chemicals Marketing, and in 2018 he was promoted to Vice President, Industrial Products.
Chief Commercial Officer Role and Current Responsibilities
In 2021, Elkins was appointed chief marketing officer at Norfolk Southern; he now holds the title Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. In that role he leads the company’s Intermodal, Automotive and Industrial Products businesses, and also manages its Real Estate, Industrial Development, Short Line Marketing, Field Sales and Customer Logistics groups.
In September 2025, Norfolk Southern announced a new joint intermodal service with Union Pacific connecting the Louisville metro area to key western markets, with service expected to begin in mid-October; Norfolk Southern identified Elkins as its Chief Commercial Officer in that announcement.
Professional Achievements and Industry Recognition
Elkins serves as Vice Chair of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and sits on the boards of directors of the National Association of Manufacturers and TTX Company. He also serves on the Georgia State University Marketing RoundTable and is a member of The Conference Board Council for CMOs.
Leadership and Industry Role
Elkins’s path to the commercial role ran from front-line train operations through two decades in intermodal marketing and senior roles in chemicals marketing and industrial products, before his 2021 appointment to the company’s senior commercial leadership.
Conclusion
Ed Elkins, whose full name is Claude Edward Elkins Jr., is Norfolk Southern’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, a role he reached after joining the railroad as a road brakeman in 1988 following service in the U.S. Marine Corps.
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