Joseph R. Hinrichs (born 1966 in Columbus, Ohio)[1] is an American business executive who is the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of CSX Corporation. He previously served as president of Ford Motor Company's global automotive business, where he oversaw the Ford and Lincoln brands and managed operations across multiple continents.[2]
Hinrichs began his career as an engineer at General Motors before moving into leadership roles at Ford. He became CEO of CSX in 2022,[3] where his tenure has been marked by mixed financial performance and the ONE CSX initiative that some industry figures have claimed to be ineffective[4][5].
In addition to his corporate roles, Hinrichs has served on the boards of several companies and industry organizations, and was named Railway Age’s Railroader of the Year in 2025.[6]
In 1989, Hinrichs began working at General Motors as an engineer and subsequently became a plant manager. He worked at Ryan Enterprises Group in Chicago[1] from 1998 to 2000 and later managed Ford's Van Dyke transmission plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan.[11]
Hinrichs previously served as President of Ford Motor Company's global automotive business, where he oversaw the Ford and Lincoln brands.[2][12] Throughout the late 2000s and 2010s, he managed Ford's operations across various continents.[1] At Ford, Hinrichs oversaw about 200,000 employees and 10,000 Ford and Lincoln dealers worldwide. During his tenure, he negotiated four successful contracts with the United Auto Workers while General Motors experienced two strikes in the same period.[13][5]
Hinrichs retired from Ford in February 2020 at the age of 53, receiving a $5 million bonus.[14][15] Media reports indicated the departure was linked to a management reorganization after poor fourth-quarter results, and some sources suggested it was not entirely voluntary[16][14]. Former CEO Mark Fields had reportedly tried to dismiss Hinrichs in 2017 shortly before Fields himself was removed.
In 2022, he became the president and CEO of CSX Corporation.[17][18] Through the ONE CSX initiative, he has attempted to improve relations with workers[19], though reactions have been mixed. According to Comparably, as of September2025[update], he ranks in the bottom 5% of CEOs at companies with more than 10,000 employees with only 43% of CSX employees saying they would recommend the company to a friend[20]. Some critics have described his employee engagement efforts as limited or primarily focused on public relations[5].
Challenges
Hinrichs has faced major infrastructure challenges during his tenure at CSX, including over $400 million in reconstruction costs in eastern Tennessee following Hurricane Helene, as well as impacts from the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse and other severe weather events.[6][19][21]
Financial results
Under Hinrichs' leadership, CSX has reported mixed financial outcomes. In 2024, the company posted a revenue of $14.54 billion, a 0.8% decline from 2023. Operating income fell 5% to $5.25 billion, while net income declined to $3.47 billion ($1.49/share) from $3.67 billion ($1.82/share) the previous year. CSX's stock price reached $37.67 in March 2024, before decreasing to $35.43 in August 2025.[22][4][23]
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