10 Norfolk Southern HR leaders
R. Wai Wong, VP Labor Relations at Norfolk Southern, is one of ten Norfolk Southern HR leaders listed here, alongside people who hold assistant vice president, senior director and director roles in HR, talent development, benefits, compensation and talent acquisition. A reader can learn how HR leaders work at Norfolk Southern from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Alisa Cotting
LinkedInExperience: Director Human Resources · Norfolk Southern
Alisa Cotting has been Director Human Resources at Norfolk Southern since January 2025. Alisa Cotting was Manager Human Resources at Norfolk Southern in 2024, Manager Workplace Experience in 2023, Senior HR Business Partner - G&A from 2022 to 2023, and HR Business Partner from 2021 to 2022.
Barbara Paul
LinkedInExperience: Vice President Human Resources · Norfolk Southern
Barbara Paul was Vice President Human Resources at Norfolk Southern from May 2020 to February 2024, AVP Human Resources & Diversity there in 2020, and Director Talent Management from 2019 to 2020. Barbara Paul has been Principal at Barbara Paul Consulting since November 2025, and the profile headline reads Executive Coach.
Gloria Dana
LinkedInExperience: AVP HR Services · Norfolk Southern
Gloria Dana has been AVP HR Services at Norfolk Southern since July 2014, a role the profile places in the Human Resources department at the President/Vice President level, based in Norfolk, Virginia. Gloria Dana was Manager Employee Benefits & Affirmative Action Programs at Norshipco from 1975 to 1994.
Jason Scott
LinkedInExperience: Director Talent Acquisition · Norfolk Southern
Jason Scott has been Director Talent Acquisition at Norfolk Southern since November 2024, a director-level Human Resources role based in Atlanta, Georgia. Jason Scott was Senior Manager - Talent Acquisition at Norfolk Southern from 2022 to 2024 and Sr Manager, Talent Acquisition at Shaw Industries from 2012 to 2022.
Juan Cunningham
LinkedInExperience: VP HR · Norfolk Southern
Juan Cunningham was VP HR at Norfolk Southern from May 2013 to February 2016, a vice-president-level Human Resources role in Norfolk, Virginia, and lists roles at Norfolk Southern from 1973 to 2013 under the title Various. The profile headline describes Juan Cunningham as retired, volunteering and providing HR consultant services.
Michelle Thompson
LinkedInExperience: Sr Director HR Operations & Benefits · Norfolk Southern
Michelle Thompson has been Sr Director HR Operations & Benefits at Norfolk Southern since July 2022. Michelle Thompson was Sr. Director Health Services & Benefits at Norfolk Southern from 2020 to 2022, Director Benefits from 2016 to 2020, and Senior Benefits Manager from 2014 to 2016, and lists skills in compensation, benefits analysis and equity compensation.
Patrick Rickard
LinkedInExperience: AVP Human Resources · Norfolk Southern
Patrick Rickard has been AVP Human Resources at Norfolk Southern since June 2023. Patrick Rickard was Sr. Director Human Resources there from 2022 to 2023, Sr. Director Talent Management from 2021 to 2022, Director Talent Management from 2020 to 2021, and Director Talent Acquisition from 2019 to 2020, and describes leading human capital management, talent acquisition, talent development, HRBP, EEO, ER and health services.
R. Wai Wong
LinkedInExperience: AVP Human Resources · Norfolk Southern
R. Wai Wong was AVP Human Resources at Norfolk Southern from April 2020 to July 2022 and has been VP Labor Relations there since July 2022. R. Wai Wong was Director Employee Experience at Norfolk Southern from 2019 to 2020 and held the legal roles Counsel, Technology & Strategic Communications (2018 to 2019) and Assistant General Solicitor (2015 to 2018) at the railroad.
Sonya Shropshire
LinkedInExperience: Assistant Vice President Talent Development · Norfolk Southern
Sonya Shropshire has been Assistant Vice President Talent Development at Norfolk Southern since September 2025. Sonya Shropshire was Director Talent Development at Norfolk Southern from 2023 to 2025 and Director Engagement and Development from 2021 to 2023, and the profile describes designing and implementing strategies to attract, develop and retain talent as part of the Human Resources function.
Steve Zoellick
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director, Compensation · Norfolk Southern
Steve Zoellick has been Senior Director, Compensation at Norfolk Southern since March 2021. Steve Zoellick was Vice President, Compensation, Rewards & Workforce Analytics at Cox Communications from 2015 to 2018 and owner and principal compensation consultant at Insight Compensation Services LLC from 2019 to 2021, and describes developing, implementing and managing rewards programs.
Choose the right perspective
Pick the person whose HR area is closest to your question, since talent development, benefits and compensation, HR services and talent acquisition involve different decisions. Check the start and end dates of each role to see how recent the experience is.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What did you focus on first when you took on your current HR role, and what did you learn from it?
- 02How do you decide which people programs to standardize across the company and which to tailor to different groups of employees?
- 03What has your own work taught you about building leaders from within?
Reaching Norfolk Southern HR leaders
How can I contact one of these Norfolk Southern HR leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: Norfolk Southern, based on profile data retrieved on October 19, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Norfolk Southern HR leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
Can an AI agent ask one of these Norfolk Southern HR leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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