Mr. Gauthier is Director, Industry Liaison for the Railway Association of Canada (RAC). He is responsible for ensuring that the various, and sometimes conflicting, interests of the diversified members of the Association are well represented in all RAC material, particularly policy documents directed to governments.

He joined the RAC in the fall 2005, when this organization moved from Montreal to Ottawa. He quickly organized the first Canadian Short line and Regional Railway Conference, which led to the creation of the RAC Short line Committee that has been very active in promoting the interests of this sector of the industry.

Prior to joining the RAC, he worked for Canadian Pacific Railway, initially in the Québec Law Department, then their General Solicitor office and finally for their Public Affairs Department. Prior to joining the CPR, he worked for a law firm that specialized in civil and commercial law in Québec.

Mr. Gauthier holds a license in Law from the University of Sherbrooke in Québec, an MBA from L’École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Montréal, and is in good standing with members of the Québec Bar Association.

Shawn I. Smith is a veteran executive in the north-American railway industry with extensive experience in railway operations, commercial development, safety management, regulatory affairs, and government relations. During the last 20 years of his career, Mr. Smith has held field operating positions, General Manager postings, and served as Vice President of a publicly-traded Canadian regional railway company, and for RailAmerica, Inc. He was actively involved in the implementation of various new regional and short line railway operations in Canada during the 1990's.

In 2001, Mr. Smith was appointed a member of the Board of Directors of the Railway Association of Canada. He also served on the Association's Safety and Operations Management Committee and the Policy Advocacy Committee. Mr. Smith is a founding member of the Canadian Railway Hall of Fame and takes a keen interest in the past, present, and future of the industry. He is a member of the American Association of Railroad Superintendents, and the Lexington Group.

In 2008 Mr. Smith joined the Strategy Department of Canadian Pacific, and is involved in strategic planning initiatives across the railway.

Mr. Smith is married to Karen and they have two boys. In addition to railroading and its trappings Mr. Smith enjoys sports, photography, and family history.

Roger Cameron was Director, Public Affairs at the Railway Association of Canada (RAC). The RAC represents more than 50 freight and passenger railways operating in Canada today, fosters public awareness and understanding of the railway industry, and facilitates Canada's role in establishing North American railway technical and operating standards.

His responsibilities with the RAC over the past decade in public affairs and communications included media relations, magazine, annual report and brochure publishing, website content, speech writing and advertising. He organized special events, briefing sessions and conferences on behalf of the industry, produced videos and CDs. He is past chairman of the board of the Centre for Sustainable Transportation.

Mr. Cameron, of Montreal, is a native of Petitcodiac, New Brunswick. He began his career in communications as a newspaper reporter with the Moncton Times and Transcript, and worked for 30 years with CN Public Affairs and Advertising in the railway's regional and system headquarters, on major projects and with its marine division to help manage fundamental change in Canada's transportation industry .