Executive Management Team

Derek J. Leathers is our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, serving as Chairman since May 2021 and CEO since May 2016. He was Vice Chairman in 2020-21 and President from 2011 to January 2024. Our Board appointed Leathers in May 2020 to fill a directorship vacancy, and stockholders initially elected him to the Board in May 2021. Throughout his tenure at the Company, he has held integral roles in many facets of the organization, including the establishment of our Mexico operations and oversight for all the asset operating groups.

Leathers has worked in the transportation and logistics industry for over 30 years. Prior to joining the Company in 1999, he was employed by Schneider National for eight years, during which time he was based out of Mexico City for several years and was one of the first foreign members of Mexico’s trucking association (CANACAR).

Leathers holds an economic degree from Princeton University. He serves on the board of SkyWest Incorporated, a public airline company; as the board chair of the American Transportation Research Institute; as the board vice-chair of the American Trucking Associations; on the executive committees of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of the Midlands; and on the board of trustees for Creighton University. He is a founder and board member of the PlaySmart Leadership Academy, an Omaha non-profit for youth.

Nathan J. Meisgeier has served as our President and Chief Legal Officer since January 2024, including the role of Chief of Staff and overseeing Legal, Safety, Risk, Human Resources, Government Affairs, Driver Recruiting, Field Recruiting, the Roadmaster School Network, Terminal Management, Corporate Security, and Construction. He previously served since February 2018 as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, after having been Vice President and General Counsel since 2016 and fulfilling other legal leadership roles.

Prior to joining Werner in 2005, Meisgeier was a litigator at the Kansas City law firm of Stinson, Mag and Fizzell for seven years. He holds a juris doctorate from Harvard Law School. He is Chairman of the American Trucking Associations’ Legal Reform Advisory Council and serves on the American Trucking Associations Litigation Center board, among other positions in the transportation industry.

Passionate about giving back and serving the community, Meisgeier is a member of the advisory boards of the Werner Institute at Creighton Law School, the Salvation Army and the Honesty Project (a Nebraska non-profit engaged in at-risk youth skill development) and the Dean’s Advisory Board at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business. He and his spouse, Lori, have three sons.

Craig T. Callahan has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer since February 2018. His primary responsibilities include leading sales and business development efforts across the Company’s entire suite of transportation and logistics service offerings, managing marketing and communications, and facilitating sustainability initiatives. He previously served since 2015 as Senior Vice President of Sales. Since joining the Company in 1995, he has also had other leadership roles in sales, customer service and operations.

Callahan holds a degree in finance and business management from Creighton University. He serves on the board of College World Series of Omaha, Inc. Other community service has included a leadership volunteer role with the American Heart Association – Nebraska. He has two daughters and a spouse, Tara.

Eric J. Downing has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since January 2023. He previously served since 2016 as Senior Vice President of Dedicated, after having been Vice President of Specialized Services since 2012. Since joining the Company in 1998, he has also had roles in Operations, Marketing and Logistics.

Downing was in the United States Air Force from 1991 – 1998 and works with Werner’s associate resource group for veterans. He has a degree from the University of Nebraska – Omaha in criminology and criminal justice. He serves on the board of the Truckload Carriers Association and on the executive committee of the Nebraska Trucking Association board.

Downing volunteers for Ashland Youth Sports in his hometown. He has four children with his spouse, Megan.

James L. Johnson is our Executive Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. 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 our Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer responsible for driving the Company’s technology and information systems strategy, innovation and information technology operations. He brings more than 20 years of information technology and strategic leadership experience to the Company.

Prior to joining the Company in 2020, Mahon was employed at Vonage Business, Inc., a cloud communications provider, for six years with his last position held being Senior Vice President, Global IT and Business Applications, and was previously employed by Sage North America for ten years.

Outside of his corporate responsibilities, Mahon is a member of the Forbes Technology Council, the Executive Committee for Tech Nebraska, the Chief Information Officer Advisory Board for Workday, and the Cloudflare Customer Advisory Board.

Passionate about fostering innovation, Mahon works with the startup and founder community in the Omaha area, supporting entrepreneurs and helping promote and drive the local tech ecosystem. Mahon holds a volunteer executive leadership position with the American Heart Association – Nebraska. He and his spouse, Christine, have a daughter and son.

H. Marty Nordlund has served as our Executive Vice President of Strategic Partnerships since January 2023. He previously served as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since 2016. Prior roles since joining the Company in 1994 also include, among others, Senior Executive Vice President of Specialized Services and other leadership roles in specialized services between 2001– 2016 and Vice President of Dedicated Fleet Services and other leadership roles in fleet services between 1995 – 2001.

Prior to joining the Company, Nordlund held various management positions for five years with Crete Carrier Corporation.

Jim S. Schelble has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer since May 2016 and has ongoing responsibilities related to Driver Recruiting, the Roadmaster School Network and terminal operations. He previously served as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing since 2005. Prior roles since joining the Company in 1998 also include, among others, Senior Vice President of Sales and other leadership roles in sales and in development of our Dedicated business. He serves on the board of the Professional Truck Driver Institute.

Prior to joining the Company, Schelble spent twelve years with Roadway Express in various management positions within operations, sales and marketing. He has a business administration degree from St. John’s University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Drake University.

Schelble’s community contributions have included executive board service for Combined Health Agency Drive, dedicated to advancing the missions of Nebraska health agencies. He and his spouse, Claire, have two children and two grandchildren.

Chris D. Wikoff has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since April 2023.

Wikoff previously served since 2016 as Executive Vice President and Treasurer of West Technology Group, formerly Intrado Corporation, a cloud-based, global technology company, 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. He served in various financial leadership roles over sixteen years with Lucent Technologies, Avaya and CommScope.

Wikoff graduated from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business with a business administration degree including a concentration in international business. He serves on the board of Project Harmony, a child protection center in Omaha. Together with his spouse, Jody, he is involved with faith-based ministries and outreach including a clothing care center serving refugees and under-resourced children.