Executive Management Team

Derek J. Leathers is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Werner Enterprises. Leathers has over 30 years of experience in the transportation and logistics industry and 25 years of experience with Werner. Throughout his tenure at Werner, he has held integral executive management roles leading multiple organizational service offerings, including the establishment and development of Werner’s Mexico cross-border operations, oversight for the asset operating groups and leading the launch of Werner Global Logistics, which encompassed transportation management and freight movement within intermodal, ocean, air and brokerage. In May of 2021, Werner’s Board of Directors appointed Leathers to Chairman, along with his current title of CEO. Beyond his leadership at Werner, Leathers plays pivotal roles across various industry and community platforms. He serves as Chairman of the American Transportation Research Institute and as Vice Chairman of the American Trucking Associations. Furthermore, he is a member of the Executive Board of the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Directors for SkyWest, the Executive Committee for United Way of the Midlands and serves as a Board of Trustee for Creighton University. Leathers is the Founder and National Director of PlaySmart, a non-profit organization that helps underserved 5th through 8th-grade students realize their academic and life potential through sports. Prior to joining Werner in 1999, Leathers was one of the first foreign members of Mexico's trucking association and was based out of Mexico City for several years. Leathers holds an economics degree from Princeton University.

Nathan J. Meisgeier is the President and Chief Legal Officer at Werner®. Meisgeier joined the Company in 2005 and became a member of the executive team in 2016. Werner’s Board appointed Meisgeier to the position of President in 2024. In his current role, Meisgeier oversees the Company’s Legal, Safety, Human Resources, Government Affairs, Driver Recruiting, Field Recruiting, Terminal Management, Corporate Security and Construction departments, the Roadmaster Drivers School Network and also serves as Chief of Staff.

Outside of Werner, Meisgeier is the Chairman of the American Trucking Associations’ Legal Reform Advisory Committee and sits on the Board of Directors for the American Trucking Associations’ Litigation Center, among other positions within the transportation industry. He is also passionate about giving back and serving the community, including positions on the Advisory Board for the Salvation Army and the Honesty Project. Meisgeier is also a member of the Werner Institute Advisory Board at Creighton Law School and serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business. Meisgeier graduated from Harvard Law School in 1998 and was a litigator at the Kansas City law firm of Stinson, Mag and Fizzell for seven years before joining Werner.

Nathan and his wife, Lori, have three adult sons.

Craig Callahan, is the Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Werner Enterprises. Callahan has nearly 30 years of experience with Werner, currently overseeing the Company’s Sales and Marketing departments. His primary responsibilities include leading sales and business development efforts across Werner’s entire suite of transportation and logistics service offerings. Additionally, he manages the Marketing and Communications team who focuses on creating and executing enterprise-wide strategic marketing campaigns to support the company’s overarching strategy, while ensuring brand consistency. With Werner’s increased focus on sustainability efforts, Callahan’s team facilitates the implementation and progress of these initiatives. Together with his corporate responsibilities, Callahan serves on the Board of Directors for College World Series of Omaha, Inc., a nonprofit organization formed in 1967 to organize and enlist community support for the success and growth of each year’s event. In this current role, he sits on the Finance, Marketing and Ticketing committees. Callahan graduated from Creighton University in 1995 with a degree in finance and business management, joining the Werner team upon graduation. Craig and his wife, Tara, and his two daughters reside in Omaha.

Eric J. Downing, is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Werner Enterprises. Downing has nearly 26 years of experience with Werner, working in multiple departments since joining the Company in 1998 as a fleet coordinator, including time in Operations, Marketing, Logistics and Dedicated. During his tenure as Senior Vice President of Dedicated, he was instrumental in fostering relationships and growing strategic customer accounts resulting in the Company’s 50 percent Dedicated fleet growth while nearly doubling Dedicated revenue. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Downing serves on the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Trucking Association where he is also an Executive Committee member. He’s also involved with St. Mary’s Catholic Church and Preschool, Ashland Youth Sports and Werner’s WEVets associate resource group for veterans at the Company. Downing served in the United States Air Force from 1991 to 1998 and then graduated from the University of Nebraska – Omaha in 2000 with a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Eric and his wife, Megan, along with their four children reside in Ashland.

James L. Johnson is the Executive Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer at Werner Enterprises. He joined the Company in 1991 as Manager of Financial Reporting. He has since been appointed to the following positions: (i) Assistant Controller in 1992; (ii) Director of Accounting in 1994; (iii) Controller in 1996; (iv) Vice President and Controller in 2000; and (v) Senior Vice President and Controller in 2005. In 2010, he was promoted to his current position. He also served as Werner’s Corporate Secretary from 1996 to August 2023. Johnson was employed by the independent public accounting firm of Arthur Andersen & Co. as a certified public accountant from 1985 until his employment with the Company in 1991. He graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting.

DARAGH P. MAHON, is an Executive Vice President and the Chief Information Officer at Werner Enterprises. Mahon joined Werner in 2020 and has more than 20 years of IT and strategic leadership experience, previously serving as the Senior Vice President of Global IT and Business Applications for Vonage. In his role at Werner, Mahon is responsible for the Company’s technology and information systems strategy, innovation and IT operations. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Mahon is an official member of the Forbes Technology Council, a member of the Information Science and Technology College Advisory Council for the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Customer Success Advisory Board Member for Salesforce, Cloudflare Customer Advisory Board, amongst others. He is also a member of the Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association in Omaha. He and his wife, Christine, have one daughter, Emily.

H. MARTY NORDLUND, joined us in 1994 as an account executive. He then received the following promotions with the Company: (i) Director of Dedicated Fleet Services in 1995; (ii) Senior Director of Dedicated Fleet Services in 1997; (iii) Vice President—Dedicated Fleet Services in 1998; (iv) Vice President—Specialized Services in 2001; (v) Senior Vice President—Specialized Services in 2003; (vi) Executive Vice President—Specialized Services in 2005; (vii) Senior Executive Vice President—Specialized Services in 2006: and (viii) Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2016. In January 2023, Mr. Nordlund became Executive Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Nordlund held various management positions with Crete Carrier Corporation, a large privately held truckload carrier.

Jim S. Schelble, is the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Werner Enterprises. He joined the company in 1998 as Manager of New Business Development and has been appointed to the following positions throughout his tenure: (i) Director of National Accounts in 1999; (ii) Senior Director of Dedicated Services in 2000; (iii) Associate Vice President of Corporate and Dedicated Sales in 2002; (iv) Vice President—Sales in 2003; (v) Senior Vice President—Sales in 2004; and (vi) Executive Vice President—Sales and Marketing in 2005. He was named to his current position in May of 2016 with responsibility for Driver Recruiting, the Roadmaster School Network, and the Terminal Network. Before joining the Company, Mr. Schelble spent twelve years with Roadway Express, a less-than-truckload carrier, in various management positions within operations, sales, and marketing. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Schelble serves on the state and executive board of C.H.A.D. (Community Health Agencies Drive), which supports 23 local, Nebraska-based health agencies that focus on improving the health and quality of life of those living in Nebraska. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Professional Truck Drivers Institute (P.T.D.I). Schelble graduated from St. John’s University with a degree in business administration and then from Drake University with an MBA in business. He and his wife, Claire, have two children: Alex and Emma, and two grandchildren, Quinn and Cam.

Chris Wikoff, is the Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer at Werner Enterprises. Mr. Wikoff has more than 20 years of financial leadership and business transformation experience with Fortune 1000 public and private multinational companies. Prior to joining Werner, Mr. Wikoff served as Executive Vice President of Finance and Treasurer of West Technology Group, formerly Intrado Corporation, a global technology provider, since 2016 where he was responsible for strategic finance, accounting, treasury, tax, investor and lender relations and multiple finance shared service centers in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Prior to West Technology Group, Chris served in various financial leadership roles over 16 years with Lucent Technologies, Avaya and CommScope. Mr. Wikoff graduated with honors, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business in 1998, where he earned a business administration degree, with concentration in international business. Chris and his wife, Jody, reside in Omaha, Nebraska. Together, they are involved in the community through faith-based ministries and outreach, including affiliation with a clothing Care Center providing new clothing to foster and under-resourced children and refugee families.