Tidewater Transportation and Terminals, Vancouver, Wash., the largest barge transportation and terminal network on the Columbia-Snake River system, recently added Aaron Degodny as its new vice-president and chief commercial officer.

Aaron Degodny Tidewater Transportation and Terminals photo

“Aaron is an extremely accomplished executive who brings to Tidewater a unique skillset and an ability to develop high-value strategies and high-performing teams. His innovative insights will help us grow our core tug and terminaling business, as well as unlock new opportunities,” Todd Busch, Tidewater’s president and CEO, said in a statement announcing the move. “Thank you to the team at Upper Bay Infrastructure Partners for their remarkable professional support in bringing Aaron to Tidewater.”

Degodny will focus on establishing strategic partnerships in new markets, expanding and strengthening client relationships, and extending the regional and global footprint of Tidewater.

“I quickly learned that people are at the heart of this great and dynamic business,” said Degodny. “I am truly fortunate to lead a talented team of highly capable and passionate individuals who are committed to realizing our ambitious growth strategy while always upholding our customer-centric and safety culture.”

Degodny will have direct oversight and responsibility for business development, sales and marketing, public relations and media. Additionally, he will help lead Tidewater Environmental Services, and work closely with Island Tug and Barge, a Tidewater entity located in British Columbia. As part of Tidewater’s executive leadership team, Degodny will continue to build on Tidewater’s success as a leader in supply chain solutions, transportation, and logistics.

Prior to joining Tidewater, Degodny was the president and COO at Rand Logistics, Inc., a provider of bulk freight shipping solutions throughout the Great Lakes region. He also served as Rand’s chief commercial officer, transforming Rand’s commercial, logistics and customer service functions into a best-in-class operation.

Prior to joining Rand, Degodny spent 20 years at the Canadian National Railway (CN), one of the largest railroads in North America, where he advanced from national account manager to leadership roles in multiple commodities sectors. Throughout his career, he has negotiated $3B+ in growth initiatives with leading global industrial enterprises, and his broad experience spans private equity-backed, publicly traded and privately held companies in the U.S. and Canada.