Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer

Stephen Gardner assumed the position of Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Commercial Officer effective October 2017. He oversees the Product Development and Customer Experience; Corporate Planning; and Government Affairs and Corporate Communications departments, as well as the State Supported, Northeast Corridor and Long Distance Service Lines.

Stephen formerly served as EVP of Planning, Technology & Public Affairs, where he was charged with coordinating the long-term development of the company’s key assets and services. Since coming to Amtrak in 2009, Stephen has held positions responsible for setting a vision for modern high-speed rail; increasing Acela Express capacity and commuter access growth; improving Northeast Corridor infrastructure; formulating policies to carry out Amtrak's strategic plan; and guiding general development and planning activities.

Prior to Amtrak, Stephen served five years as the senior Democratic professional staff for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Surface Transportation & Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security. In this capacity, he directed all Democratic legislative and oversight activities related to the safety, security, infrastructure and operations of railroads, motor carriers, pipelines and hazardous materials transportation, including overseeing all related federal agencies.

Stephen served on behalf of Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV and former chairmen Daniel K. Inouye and Ernest F. Hollings. He served on the subcommittee staff in 2004 as Legislative Assistant for Transportation for Senator Tom Carper and Congressman Bob Clement.

Early in his transportation career, Stephen held various operating and managerial positions with Guilford Rail System’s Maine Central Railroad in Maine and Massachusetts, the Buckingham Branch Railroad in Virginia and Amtrak in Washington, DC.

Stephen received his Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Physics from Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, and he also completed additional thesis work in political economy and transportation.