Amtrak named Ken Hylander executive VP and chief safety officer. Hylander most recently served as chairman of the Flight Safety Foundation and previously served as the chief safety officer at Delta Air Lines. He will report directly to President/CEO Richard Anderson and be responsible for implementing a proven Safety Management System (SMS) at Amtrak.

“We are improving safety at Amtrak. Keeping our customers and employees safe is our most important responsibility and a high quality Safety Management System is a requirement for Amtrak,” said Anderson. “Ken is a recognized leader in the implementation and operation of SMS, and his experience will be instrumental in helping build our safety culture.”

SMS is a proactive risk management system, which builds on predictive safety management methods. SMS has been a cornerstone of improving safety in many industries, including aviation, health care, and energy. Recently, the NTSB recommended that Amtrak implement a SMS Program. Amtrak endorses this NTSB recommendation.

Hylander has more than three decades of experience in the aviation industry. He retired as a sr. VP from Delta Air Lines in 2014, where he successfully oversaw the SMS implementation at Delta and managed the occupational, operating safety, security, quality, and environmental compliance programs.