Ryan Ratledge began his railroad career in 1994 with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Corp. Beginning as a switchman, Ryan quickly rose through the ranks and last served as the Terminal Superintendent in San Bernardino, CA. Ryan joined Rail America as general manager of the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad in September 2007.

In March of 2008, he was promoted to general manager of the Indiana and Ohio Railway (IORY) in Cincinnati, OH, tasked with turning around a railroad that had consistently underperformed in terms of customer service, safety, and efficiency. Having accomplished that task in early 2011, Ryan was asked to lead the entire Midwest Region as a Vice President. The Region included not just the IORY, but 8 additional railroads. Under Ryan’s leadership, the Region delivered year over year reductions in the total number of FRA reportable injuries, the total number of FRA reportable derailments, and human factor incidents. He also led the region in year over year improvements in customer satisfaction, growth, and operating income.