Michael Burns’ path to working for a Fortune 500 company was a winding one, and probably wouldn’t have occurred if it weren’t for a major turn taken near the end of his Wabash career.
Like many students, the 1998 graduate came to the College thinking he had his career plans figured out. Even though his father is a lawyer, Burns was determined to become a doctor and majored in biology.
After studying abroad in Australia during the second semester of his junior year, Burns began questioning if joining the medical field was what he really wanted to do. Graduation was getting closer, and the pressure of uncertainty was building.
Thanks to a bit of encouragement from his mother, Burns got to where he is today, leading a broad team of lawyers and business professionals as the vice president and general counsel at CSX, one of the nation’s leading rail-based transportation companies, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.
Burns is responsible for the company’s legal, corporate secretary, risk management, freight claims, and environmental and hazmat functions. He began his career at CSX in 2006, has held positions of increasing responsibility throughout, and is a graduate of the Executive Development Program at the Harvard Business School.
“I hope my story will help other current and former Wabash students understand that for many, the future is not a straight path that can be planned out completely,” said the Fort Wayne, Indiana, native. “My path as a biology major turned law...
President Lee Jae-myung speaks at a Cabinet meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae on October 13. President Lee Jae-myung called for a stern response to the spread of false information regarding eggs rece...