Dépêches

Kansas City Business Journal Names Kansas City Southern’s Michael W. Upchurch CFO of the Year in Large Companies Category

Dépèche transmise le 27 juin 2011 par Business Wire

Kansas City Business Journal Names Kansas City Southern’s Michael W. Upchurch CFO of the Year in Large Companies Category

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At an awards ceremony in Overland Park, Ks. on June 23, Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE: KSU) executive vice president and chief financial officer Michael W. Upchurch was named CFO of the Year in the Large Companies category by the Kansas City Business Journal.

“As a chief financial officer, my business philosophy is to balance the needs of shareholders, customers and employees. All great companies excel by exceeding the needs of these constituents.”

The fourth annual CFO of the Year awards program recognizes the Kansas City area’s top financial executives for their roles as key contributors to the strategic vision of their companies. A panel of judges reviewed applications detailing each nominee’s contributions to their companies’ growth and financial success, their roles in corporate management and strategic planning, and their community involvement.

The June 24 edition of the Kansas City Business Journal includes a special supplement on the award winners and finalists in categories including Large Companies, Medium Companies, Small Companies and Nonprofit Organizations. In the supplement, these individuals share their backgrounds, philosophies and outlooks.

When asked to describe his business philosophy, Upchurch told the Journal, “As a chief financial officer, my business philosophy is to balance the needs of shareholders, customers and employees. All great companies excel by exceeding the needs of these constituents.”

He added that his greatest lesson learned is that “No one person can be successful on their own. It takes a great team to be truly outstanding, so hiring, motivating and developing great people is, in my opinion, the most important aspect of leading organizations. My only regret about being nominated for this award is it should be for Finance Organization of the Year, not CFO of the year.”

Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., KCS is a transportation holding company that has railroad investments in the U.S., Mexico and Panama. Its primary U.S. holding is The Kansas City Southern Railway Company, serving the central and south central U.S. Its international holdings include Kansas City Southern de Mexico, S.A. de C.V., serving northeastern and central Mexico and the port cities of Lázaro Cárdenas, Tampico and Veracruz, and a 50 percent interest in Panama Canal Railway Company, providing ocean-to-ocean freight and passenger service along the Panama Canal. KCS’ North American rail holdings and strategic alliances are primary components of a NAFTA Railway system, linking the commercial and industrial centers of the U.S., Mexico and Canada.