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CPKC names Gordon Trafton as board chair after Isabelle Courville retires

Courville, who joined the CPKC board in 2013 and chaired it since 2019, is replaced immediately by Trafton, who was made vice chair on Jan. 28, 2026.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Energy

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), a major North American rail transporter of grain, said Gordon Trafton will replace retiring Isabelle Courville as board chairperson, effective immediately, with the change tied to the company’s succession planning.

Courville joined the board in 2013 and became chairperson in 2019, when she became the first female to chair a Class I railroad. During her tenure, the company proposed and completed its transformational combination with Kansas City Southern.

CPKC said Courville chaired its audit committee from 2014 to 2016, later serving as chair of the management, resources and compensation committee. The railroad also noted her experience across energy and telecommunications sectors over more than 25 years.

Trafton has been on the CPKC board since 2017 and was appointed vice chair on Jan. 28, 2026. The company said he retired in 2010 from Canadian National after a 33-year career and later held senior roles including strategic acquisitions and integration and leadership in the southern region.

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