The Greenbrier Companies on Oct. 22, 2015 appointed veteran rail equipment finance executive Victoria McManus Executive Vice President and Chief Strategic Officer, a new position. McManus served as a member of Greenbrier’s Board of Directors since 2009; she resigned from that position to assume her new role.
McManus, who reports to Chairman and CEO William A. Furman, “will be responsible for developing and implementing strategic initiatives to diversify and grow the company’s business and to enhance value from the company’s integrated freight car manufacturing, aftermarkets, leasing and services business model,” Greenbrier said. “In addition to these responsibilities, she will oversee executive development efforts, public policy issues and corporate development activities.”
McManus has more than 20 years’ experience in the finance industry, with emphasis on the rail equipment sector. She was head of Babcock & Brown’s North American Rail Group from its founding in 1999 until mid-2008. During her tenure, the Rail Group “raised significant capital from the European and Asian markets for investment in rail assets placed under operating leases, and became a major participant in the rail equipment marketplace,” Greenbrier noted. Before joining Babcock & Brown, McManus was an executive with The CIT Group for ten years. Her last position at CIT was President of the Rail Division, “where she changed the strategic direction of the business to a full-service platform to provide both financial and equipment leasing services to the rail freight industry.”
“We are delighted to have Victoria McManus join the senior management team at Greenbrier,” said Furman. “Victoria was instrumental in WL Ross & Co.’s investment in Greenbrier in 2009 and has added tremendous value as a director of Greenbrier since that time. I am sure she will add considerable value as a senior member of our management team. She is a well-known leader in our industry, and has a keen understanding of the major drivers for our business. In her work on strategic planning for the company’s future, Victoria will focus on business development, both externally through potential expansion of our core business competencies, and internally through organic growth, talent development and coaching. Victoria is a dynamic executive and a change agent. I am confident she will help us to continue to grow and diversify our business.”