OREANDA-NEWS. Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE: KSU) announced today that Lora Cheatum has been appointed senior vice president human resources for its primary U.S. subsidiary, The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCSR). She will lead the U.S. team and collaborate closely with the leaders of KCS' Mexico subsidiary, Kansas City Southern de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (KCSM). Ms. Cheatum reports to KCS president and CEO David L. Starling.

"The breadth of Lora's international business experience will be an excellent complement to our leadership team," said Mr. Starling.

Ms. Cheatum has 27 years of human resources and business leadership experience. She joins KCS from Layne, where she was senior vice president global human resources since 2012. In that role, she led the human resources function for a global water management, construction and mining company with 4,000 plus employees in 80 locations in the U.S. and on five continents.

Prior to Layne, she spent nine years with Kansas City Power & Light, most recently as vice president of procurement and previously as vice president human resources, where she led human capital strategy development and execution, focused on competency-based sourcing, succession planning, talent management and reward. Ms. Cheatum has also held human resources and operations management roles with Walmart Stores, Inc. in Bentonville, Ark. and Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc. in Louisville, Ky.

Ms. Cheatum holds a master of business administration from the University of Kansas and a bachelor of arts in education from Washburn University. She has served on the advisory board of St. Luke's Northland Hospital and INROADS and was an advisory board member for the Bloch School of Business at the University of Missouri Kansas City. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and was executive speaker for Supply Chain Management.

Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE: KSU) is a transportation holding company that has railroad investments in the U.S., Mexico and Panama. Its primary U.S. holding is KCSR, serving the central and south central U.S. Its international holdings include KCSM, serving northeastern and central Mexico and the port cities of LЁўzaro CЁўrdenas, Tampico and Veracruz, and a 50 percent interest in Panama Canal Railway Company, providing ocean-to-ocean freight and passenger service along the Panama Canal. KCS' North American rail holdings and strategic alliances are primary components of a NAFTA Railway system, linking the commercial and industrial centers of the U.S., Mexico and Canada.