Jonathan Cooke

Background

About Jonathan Cooke

Passionate, dedicated, creative problem solver. A railway professional with a penchant for improving operational safety through education and engagement. Never satisfied with the status quo, I continuously strive to improve workforce proficiency by use of new collaborative tactics and technologies with superior results. As a previous lead rules instructor and senior SME on numerous regulatory projects, I am a demonstrated and articulate expert in most areas of Canadian railway operating practices. I possess extensive knowledge and experience in instructing and interpreting operating documents such as the CROR and other pertinent regulations affecting Canadian railway operations. I am also experienced in authoring new policies and procedures, operating bulletins and notices, and supporting regional operations teams with operating rule applications and regulatory compliance. Through my hands-on experience with numerous capital projects, I have demonstrated additional value in the areas of project management. This includes contract negotiation and budget management to maximize ROI while maintaining a clear focus on the end solution. As a manager of both unionized and non-unionized staff, I am proven in coordinating and coaching diverse teams while constantly advocating for meaningful collaboration with other teams and business units. As a fourth-generation railroader, I am able to keep my team concentrated on the operationalization of our various initiatives and continue to actively foster a strong safety culture within our operations teams. In the five years since my involvement in the development and implementation of new locomotive engineer training programs at VIA Rail, I have been extremely proud of our achievements in the areas of safety compliance and incident KPIs. During these five years, the company has recorded four of their best years on record in these categories. With my team, we continue to identify and deliver new creative approaches to further improve these figures through training while maintaining 100% regulatory audit compliance. To make things better, you must be willing to take the time to understand the underlying issues preventing the results you desire. Without taking the time to understand why a problem exists, you’ll never implement meaningful change. This couldn’t be more applicable to modern railway operations; and it’s what drives me to make things better everyday.