{{Short description|American railroad executive}} <!-- {{Infobox Biography | subject_name = Robert D. Krebs | image_name = | image_size = | image_caption = | date_of_birth = | place_of_birth = | date_of_death = | place_of_death = | education = | occupation = [[rail transport|railroad]] executive | spouse = | parents = | children = }} --> '''Robert D. Krebs''' is an American railroad executive who has headed three major [[United States]] [[railroad]]s in succession, leading the [[Southern Pacific Railroad|Southern Pacific]] (SP) when it was [[Santa_Fe–Southern_Pacific_merger|acquired]] by [[Santa Fe Industries]], rising to lead the resulting [[Santa Fe Pacific Corporation]], and finally being chosen to head the new [[BNSF Railway|Burlington Northern Santa Fe]] (BNSF) when Santa Fe Pacific (the holding company for the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway|Santa Fe]] railroad) merged with [[Burlington Northern Railroad|Burlington Northern]].
He started out working for SP subsidiary Cotton Belt in the early 1960s becoming the youngest Superintendent of Cotton Belt's Pine Bluff Division in 1971 at age 29. Krebs eventually become president of the SP and later CEO of ATSF and BNSF. He retired as [[CEO]] of BNSF in 2000 and left the board when he retired as chairman on April 17, 2002.<ref>{{cite press release| publisher=BNSF| date=March 21, 2002| url=http://www.bnsf.com/media/news/articles/2002/03/2002-03-21-a.html| title=BNSF Board Elects CEO Matt Rose Chairman Succeeding Rob Krebs, Who is Retiring| accessdate=December 6, 2006| url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061110184853/http://www.bnsf.com/media/news/articles/2002/03/2002-03-21-a.html| archivedate=November 10, 2006}}</ref>
On May 13, 2005, Krebs joined the Board of Directors for [[Railpower Technologies]],<ref>{{cite press release| publisher=RailPower Technologies| date=May 13, 2005| url=http://www.railpower.com/dl/news/news_2005_05_13.pdf| title=RailPower adds former BNSF CEO and US FRA administrator to its board| accessdate=May 24, 2005| url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051022134226/http://www.railpower.com/dl/news/news_2005_05_13.pdf| archivedate=October 22, 2005}}</ref> a position from which he resigned on September 9, 2005, citing personal reasons.<ref>{{cite press release| publisher=RailPower Technologies| date=September 9, 2005| url=http://www.railpower.com/dl/news/news_2005_09_09.pdf| title=RailPower director resigns| accessdate=September 13, 2005}}</ref>
On December 10, 2024, Krebs became the interim President of [[Lake Forest College]] after having served on the college's Board of Trustees since 1990.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Press |first=Daniel I. Dorfman {{!}} Pioneer |date=2024-12-11 |title=Lake Forest College president has left after 2 1/2-years, officials announce |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/11/lake-forest-college-president-leaves/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref> Prior to becoming interim President Krebs was twice Chairman of the Board of Trustees.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Office of the President |url=https://www.lakeforest.edu/about-us/office-of-the-president |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=www.lakeforest.edu |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}} * {{cite book| title=Blue Streak Merchandise| author=Fred Frailey| publisher=Kalmbach| year=1991}}
{{s-start}} {{s-bef| before=[[Edward L. Moyers]] ([[Southern Pacific Transportation Company|SP]]) }} {{s-ttl| title=[[Railroader of the Year]]| years=1996<br />shared with [[Gerald Grinstein]] ([[Burlington Northern Railway|BN]]) }} {{s-aft| after=[[Paul Tellier|Paul M. Tellier]] ([[Canadian National Railway|CN]]) }} {{s-new}} {{s-ttl| title=Chief Executive Officer of [[BNSF Railway]]| years= }} {{s-aft| after=[[Matthew K. Rose]] }} {{s-end}}
{{Southern Pacific Presidents}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krebs, Robert D.}} [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:20th-century American business executives in rail transportation]] [[Category:Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway presidents]] [[Category:Southern Pacific Railroad people]] [[Category:American railroaders]]