Guardian Rail names Derek Kissick as Chief Commercial Officer

Guardian Rail is pleased to announce that Derek Kissick has rejoined the company as Chief Commercial Officer. In this newly created role, Kissick will lead the organization’s commercial strategy, overseeing sales, marketing, and customer engagement initiatives to drive growth across all business segments.

Kissick has 20 years of industry experience, including senior leadership roles at Caltrax, Cad Railway, Appalachian Railcar Services, and Marmon Rail.

Kissick previously served as Chief Operating Officer for Guardian Rail from 2021 – 2024 where he played a key role in the diligence and integration efforts for three strategic acquisitions. Since then, he held a senior commercial leadership role with Marmon Rail.

“We are thrilled to welcome Derek back to Guardian Rail,” said CEO Scott Driggers. “His deep understanding of our business and the perspective he brings from diverse leadership assignments in the industry make him the ideal leader to advance our commercial strategy. His return reflects our confidence in his proven leadership and our recognition of the value he brings from two decades of industry experience.”

Kissick added, “I am excited to return to Guardian Rail and join the team with its renewed focus on safety, quality, and service. I look forward to supporting our commercial efforts and applying innovative ideas and best practices to help Guardian Rail deliver exceptional value for our customers.”

Kissick will be based at Guardian’s corporate headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.