People on the move: OmniTRAX, Engineering Systems Inc.

OmniTRAX and Engineering Systems Inc. (ESi) have made new appointments to their respective leadership teams. 

OmniTRAX names first chief strategy officer  

OmniTRAX has named Nathan Brown as its chief strategy officer. In this newly created role, Brown will lead development and execution of the OmniTRAX corporate strategy and strategic planning process. 

“OmniTRAX has experienced an unparalleled growth rate of 50% in the past five years, and network growth has played a pivotal role in that process,” said OmniTRAX Co-CEO Colby Tanner. “Under Nathan’s leadership, our research and acquisition functions have enabled OmniTRAX to make strategic investments that have broadened our network and accelerated our growth. Nathan’s leadership in those areas is perfectly aligned to help shape our enterprise-wide growth strategy.” 

During his OmniTRAX tenure, Brown has held eight roles of progressive responsibility. In his most recent role as executive vice president, Brown led OmniTRAX’s corporate development, research and railroad real estate teams. Under his leadership, OmniTRAX says it has made six new rail acquisitions, expanding into strategic new markets and growing the OmniTRAX Rail Network to 31 operations serving ports, industrial parks and communities across North America. 

“OmniTRAX’s success is built on genuine partnerships with the communities, customers and owners we serve,” Brown said. “Guided by The Broe Group’s entrepreneurial mindset, I look forward continuing our industry-leading growth by expanding our rail and real estate network and creating new opportunities across North America.” 

Brown earned a Master of Science, Supply Chain & Transportation Management degree from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Gonzaga University. 

ESi appoints head of rail strategy  

ESi has appointed Matthew Dick, PE, as head of rail strategy and development.  

The company notes that over his 25-year career of diverse rail industry experience, Dick has performed derailment, collision and fatality incident investigations, and has worked with the Federal Railroad Association, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Additionally, he served as an onsite subject matter expert during the 2008 Chatsworth Collision NTSB investigation, the largest U.S. railway accident in the last 30 years, which triggered the implementation of Positive Train Control.  

“We're incredibly excited to welcome Matt to ESi as head of rail strategy and development,” said ESi President Will Pinkston. “Matt brings a rare combination of technical depth, industry leadership and strategic vision. His arrival marks a pivotal moment in our growth, and I look forward to partnering with him as we expand our capabilities and deepen our impact in the rail sector.” 

He recently served as vice president of strategy and business development at ENSCO Inc. His contributions to technology driven railway safety includes leading the delivery of North America’s first Autonomous Track Geometry Measurement System and deployment of the V/TI Clusters Artificial Intelligence algorithm, which both have significantly reduced track-caused derailments.    

Dick has served in various industry leadership roles, including as chair of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Rail Transportation Division and served as chair of AREMA Committee 2 – Track Measurement and Assessment Systems. 

He holds 11 patents for automated railway inspection technologies and has been prolific sharing knowledge through technical publications, conference presentations and industry magazine articles, including for Mass Transit magazine. 

"I've long admired ESi's commitment to its customers’ needs utilizing the world’s best experts," Dick said. "I'm honored to join this incredible team and excited to build on its strong foundation in the rail industry to accelerate growth, deepen impact and deliver value to our customers."