Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw Ousted After Alleged Affair With Legal Chief
Company CFO Succeeds Shaw, Who Stepped Down Following Investigation
Private Detective Report Alleges Intimate Relationship with Top Lawyer
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw has resigned from his post after an investigation into an alleged affair with the company's top lawyer, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
The report, which cites a private detective's report, alleges that Shaw and the company's general counsel, Vanessa Allen, had an intimate relationship that violated company policy.
Shaw, who had been CEO of Norfolk Southern since 2015, stepped down from his role on Friday, February 24, 2023. The company's chief financial officer, Mark George, has been appointed as his successor.
The allegations against Shaw and Allen first surfaced in a lawsuit filed by a former Norfolk Southern employee in 2022. The employee alleged that she was fired in retaliation for reporting the relationship to the company's board of directors.
The company launched an investigation into the allegations, which was conducted by an outside law firm. The investigation concluded that there was evidence to support the allegations against Shaw and Allen.
Shaw and Allen have denied the allegations. Allen remains employed by Norfolk Southern, but she has been placed on administrative leave.
The news of Shaw's resignation comes at a time when Norfolk Southern is facing intense scrutiny following the February 3, 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The derailment caused a massive fire and the release of toxic chemicals into the air and water.
The company has been criticized for its handling of the derailment, and Shaw has been under pressure to resign.
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