Co-sponsored by
Progressive Railroading, this annual award honors a woman who establishes a strong vision and a culture of continuous improvement and creativity, and brings excellence to her organization and community, all while supporting the personal and professional growth of others in the rail industry.
“Jean has not only instituted transformational changes at Trinity, but as the first woman CEO of a major railcar manufacturing and leasing company, she is paving the way for countless women in America to seek top level positions in railcar manufacturing and leasing, showing that the doors to the rail industry are wide open for women and other minorities,” said LRW President Sarah Yurasko. “Jean led and completed a full organizational redesign of Trinity and has furthered the cost-optimization strategy initiated by Trinity’s Board. In following her vision, the company is in a position to better serve its customers and stakeholders through innovative safety and sustainability enhancements in their products and operations.”
Under Savage’s leadership as CEO and President since 2020, Trinity has instituted Employee Resource Groups, including groups to further women’s success as professionals in the rail industry.
Health and safety are core goals for Jean and her team, and this value was recognized when the company received the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Partner award for outstanding COVID-19 response efforts. Trinity’s corporate headquarters is the first Dallas, Texas-based building to receive the International Well Building Institute (IWBI)’s WELL Health-Safety Rating. In addition, all TrinityRail facilities as well as Trinity’s Dallas headquarters building achieved ISO 14001 (Environmental) and ISO 45001 (Safety) certification, making TrinityRail the only railcar manufacturer in North America certified to both rigorous standards.
She places great value on community involvement and has designated paid time off for employees to participate in community volunteerism. Savage serves as Campaign Chair for United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and is the executive sponsor of Trinity’s giving campaign to raise $1 million for United Way. In addition to her philanthropic efforts, Savage believes that spending time with her two sons and their families is one of the most important, and fulfilling things she can do, setting the example for all Trinity employees.
Before joining Trinity, Savage spent 17 years at Caterpillar Inc. in various leadership positions. Prior to joining Caterpillar, she worked in a variety of operations and engineering positions in her 14 years at Parker Hannifin Corporation. Savage began her career as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Army Reserves. She holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Dayton.
