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Tag: appointment

Flexport makes significant European appointment

Posted on by David Priestman

Flexport, the digital freight forwarder and customs broker, has appointed Douglas Brown – currently VP Flexport Asia – as the company’s new leader for Europe. Douglas replaces Jan van Casteren, who is stepping down to spend time with his family after starting Flexport Europe in 2015.

As Flexport’s first hire in Europe, Jan led the company’s rapid growth from one to a team of almost 350.

“We’re incredibly thankful to Jan for his contributions. Flexport Europe wouldn’t be here without him,” commented Will Urban, Chief Revenue Officer at Flexport. “We’re fortunate to have someone of Doug’s calibre and experience follow in his footsteps. After almost two decades in the industry and three years leading Flexport in Asia, Doug has a proven track record not just in freight forwarding, but in operating at the intersection of technology and logistics.”

Fluent in Mandarin, Douglas joined Flexport in 2019 as General Manager of Greater China. He brings to his new role strong industry expertise, having worked in senior management roles within freight forwarders including Panalpina, Maersk and CEVA Logistics.

After relocating to Flexport’s Europe HQ in Amsterdam in March, Douglas will focus on diversifying Flexport’s mode and trade lane mix and expanding into new European markets. “I’m delighted to move back to Europe to join a great team and support our clients there,” Douglas added. “We’re growing quickly, targeting 250 new hires this year to show Europe how technology can accelerate innovation in our industry.”

“I am very confident about the future of Flexport Europe,” comments Jan van Casteren. “The team here is stronger than ever. We have shown that our organization has the resilience and creativity to thrive in turbulent times during the pandemic. Doug’s exceptional operational skills and industry knowledge makes him the perfect person to advance what we’ve built so far, and I’m looking forward to seeing where he takes the business in the future.”

AR Racking appoints new MD

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The current Sales Director for conventional solutions in the EMEA markets, José Manuel Lucio, has been appointed as the new Managing Director of AR Racking, replacing Iñaki Arriola, who will sever his association with the company at the end of 2022.

Lucio joined AR Racking approximately seven years ago and has held several management positions. These include, during 2021, Sales Director for the EMEA region for conventional solutions unit. Until the beginning of this year, he successfully held the position of Sales Director for Spain, Portugal and Italy.

After a steady upward rise, Lucio became Managing Director of AR Racking on 1st January 2022 replacing at the head of the company Iñaki Arriola, who will support company management until ending all ties with the company at the end of 2022.

In the last few years, AR Racking has experienced sustained growth and positioned itself as one of the leading players both nationally and internationally in the industrial storage solutions sector.

Prologis UK expands customer-facing team

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Prologis UK has appointed two new customer-facing staff to focus on maintaining and developing customer relationships as demand for logistics property continues to grow.

Will Cassar and Milena Blair will be drawing on their experience in the property and logistics sector to support customers in securing logistics facilities in the locations they need and ensuring their transition to a new property is as seamless and hassle-free as possible. They will be working with a variety of customers, large and small, including many household names such as Royal Mail, boohoo, Dunelm, Eddie Stobart and Tesco.

Both Will and Milena will be responsible for working closely with customers at all 22 Prologis Parks in the UK to deliver successful outcomes, help navigate market conditions, solve problems and provide flexibility, and support for bids and pitches. They will also be responsible for engaging with customers around initiatives such as PARKLife, training programmes and green transport schemes.

Will Cassar is joining Prologis’ Capital Deployment team and will focus on helping to grow the company’s Customer Led Development business. In his previous role at CBRE he acted for some existing Prologis’ customers, such as Dunelm, and also has experience of working with real estate teams at Geodis, LG Electronics, General Electric, and leading online retailers.

Phil Oakley, vice president, Customer Led Development at Prologis UK, said: “Will brings a great deal of experience to support us in expanding our Customer Led Development business across the UK. Having worked with Prologis and some our customers previously, he has first-hand knowledge of our high standards when building and maintaining customer relationships. I look forward to working with Will and I am convinced that he will be an asset to the UK team and the wider business.”

Formerly at ADP, Milena Blair joined Prologis in November 2021 as of Real Estate and Customer Experience manager for London and the Southeast. Her role focuses on developing and strengthening customer relationships within the region, the development of Prologis Essentials business lines, and helping to build the PARKLife experience for the benefit of customers in the region. She has a particular focus on community outreach, social responsibility and sustainability.

Stuart Davies, real estate and customer experience lead at Prologis UK, said: “Milena is an important addition to our team, and she brings a wealth of experience in areas such as client management, customer care and supporting the introduction of new business lines. These attributes are already proving to be important assets and we are delighted to have Milena onboard.”

Michelin appoints new MD for UK & Ireland

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Michelin Tyre plc has appointed John Howe as Managing Director for the UK & Ireland, with effect from 1st January 2022. He will also hold the role of B2C Sales Director, with responsibility for the company’s car, motorcycle and bicycle markets.

Howe, 41, brings 25 years of service within the company, having begun his career in the warehouse of Solideal UK, before continuing with the business through a series of acquisitions first by Solideal International, Camoplast, Camso and then finally Michelin in 2018.

He has a wealth of experience in the tyre industry at all levels, having initially worked as a warehouse operative and mobile service technician, before becoming an Area Sales Manager and later General Manager for Solideal International. During seven years at Camso, between 2013 and 2020, Howe progressed from Commercial Director to UK Managing Director, and finally Original Equipment Aftermarket Director for the EMEA region.

Since February 2020 he has worked directly within Michelin, spending his first 18 months as Global Program Manager within the agriculture, construction and materials handling markets, where he was responsible for helping the 10 regions globally Go to Market in the most effective way. Most recently he has been Global Business Development & Corporate Account Manager for these same three sectors, heading a team responsible for Michelin’s largest international key accounts.

Commenting on his new role, Howe said: “I’m excited about the opportunity to evolve the business here in the UK & Ireland, whilst also respecting the legacy of Michelin. The market is getting more dynamic all the time, and I want to ensure Michelin remains a true pioneer – with, around and beyond tyres.”

Howe will be based in Stoke-on-Trent and replaces Chris Smith as Managing Director, who recently moved to Michelin’s international headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand, France, to take over the role of Global Marketing Director long distance transportation.

Caja Robotics makes significant appointment

Posted on by David Priestman

Caja Robotics, a leader in flexible robotic goods-to-person solutions for order fulfilment, has appointed Dr. Christian E. Baur, formerly CEO of Swisslog, as Senior Advisor. Following a successful rollout of Caja’s warehouse robotic solution in the US and responding to a growing demand for automation in the EU, Baur will support building a strong network of clients and partners to fortify the company’s presence in Europe.

Baur is a software- and robotic-driven automated solutions expert with an entrepreneurial mind for solutions that shape the future of automation and create exceptional customer value. Coming from KUKA and Swisslog, he leverages deep expertise in project-based global businesses, operational excellence, M&A and leadership experience from various companies, including top management consulting. With passionate and dedicated leadership in the software and robotics space, Baur will bring his innovative thinking in digitised logistics solutions to Caja Robotics.

“I am a believer in software, automation and robotics solutions. With Caja’s technology, the future of logistics is here,” said Baur. “Caja is taking all of these and providing a perfect solution to the current logistics market needs, especially for businesses and warehouses that need scalable solutions. I see an epic potential for the future.

“There are only a few mature companies that offer innovative robotic driven goods-to-person solutions, but none like Caja, who really focuses on creating top of the line cloud-based software optimisation of order fulfilment – accomplishing high fulfilment rates, with efficient use of resources. I am very impressed with how flexible and scalable their solution is, making quick ROI feasible.”

Ilan Cohen, CEO at Caja Robotics, said: “We are excited to welcome Chris as Senior Advisor. His vast knowledge and experience are invaluable to Caja, and will serve as a pillar for building our European presence. We look forward to his creative approach and leadership.”

Baur holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Munich and received a doctoral degree from the Technical University of Karlsruhe.

Ashworth joins Kinaxia board

Posted on by David Priestman

Kinaxia Logistics has appointed leading industry figure Neil Ashworth to its board to support the development and roll-out of its digitalisation strategy.

Ashworth has more than 25 years’ board level experience in the logistics, supply chain, retail and e-commerce industries, with a track record of helping companies and organisations remain at the forefront of market innovation and transform their operations into the digital era.

He is a former chairman of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport and in a recent role was the director of delivery channels for the Department of Health and Social Care’s Covid-19 testing programme across the UK.

Before that post he was chief strategy officer and chief commercial officer at Yodel Delivery Network and chief executive of Collect+. He previously also held senior roles at companies including Tesco and Woolworths.

Currently Ashworth is non-executive chairman of private equity-backed e-commerce fulfilment specialist Selazar, a non-executive director of global healthcare supplies business 2San Global and an adviser to product data technology business IVIS Group.

Kinaxia chief executive Simon Hobbs said: “Neil brings a great deal of experience to our board, both from a supply chain and retail perspective, and will help us refine and implement the digitalisation of the business.

“I look forward to working closely with Neil and benefiting from his proven expertise.”

Ashworth said: “I am delighted to be joining the team at Kinaxia Logistics as they build on their already impressive journey to create a leading force in the UK logistics market.

“My experience complements the capabilities of the existing team, and I look forward to working closely with Simon to drive future growth as a non-executive on the board of directors, which reinforces and highlights the board’s commitment to promoting good corporate governance.”

Kinaxia employs more than 1,600 staff across its businesses and has a fleet of more than 800 vehicles which transport goods for supermarkets and other retailers as well as the leisure, food and drink and manufacturing sectors.

Headquartered in Macclesfield, Cheshire (UK), Kinaxia offers contract packing, e-fulfilment, returns management and storage services from its nationwide warehouse facilities.

Nerak Wiese strengthens UK team

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Vertical elevation specialist, Nerak Wiese Ltd, has promoted three members of its team to enhance its capabilities as demand for its solutions continues to grow.

Scott Amber, Josh Williams and Josh Kerr are all stepping up to more senior roles in the UK division of the global material handling company. “With a healthy order book and a high number of enquiries as businesses increasingly seek to automate their logistics and production processes,” commented John Oakley, Managing Director, “we are making these promotions to strengthen our technical, design and project management capabilities.”

Scott Amber has been promoted to the Board as a Director. He joined Nerak in 2013 as a Project Engineer, was promoted to Senior Project Engineer in 2018 and became Head of Design & Development last year. With a degree in Industrial and Product Design, he brings considerable engineering insight to Board decision-making.

A Design Engineer with Nerak since 2017, Josh Williams is being promoted to the role of Project Manager. Josh is a Product Design and Innovation graduate with proven skills in both engineering design and customer relationship management.

Also moving up to the role of Project Manager is Josh Kerr. With a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he joined Nerak earlier this year as a Solutions Design Engineer but has already demonstrated a clear ability to progress.

Nerak designs, manufactures and installs automated lifting and conveying solutions for both bulk goods and unit loads, with key products including continuous platform elevators, pallet lifts, bucket conveyors and reciprocating hoists. The company has supplied vertical elevation systems for clients in diverse sectors including GlaxoSmithKline, JD Sports, John Lewis, Unilever and XPO Logistics.

Pictured (left-right): Josh Kerr, Scott Amber and Josh Williams

FourKites appoints ex-Uber Freight manager

Posted on by David Priestman

Oleksii Kosenko has joined FourKites, a leading real-time supply chain visibility platform, as Director Carrier Network Operations, EMEA, to accelerate the company’s rapidly growing carrier base in Europe. Prior to joining FourKites, Kosenko led the carrier sales teams at Uber Freight and sennder Technologies GmbH, and held a senior sales role at C.H. Robinson.

“As today’s supply chain challenges put increasing pressure on carriers across the world, my priority is to ensure that European carriers of all sizes can leverage FourKites to offer better customer service, improve cash flow and cut costs,” said Kosenko. “Being able to provide a secure platform for sharing data is what will propel the entire supply chain visibility market into the future, and carriers should receive immense value in return.”

According to a recent study from FourKites and Reuters, carrier relationships and capacity constraints are a persistent problem for shippers. “Our biggest challenges are carrier integration and data sharing,” said Ferenc Polgar, Global Distribution Operational Excellence Lead, Bayer. “Given the volume of transportation companies we subcontract with, getting them engaged to connect and share data is a big challenge. It can be their capability to share data, their infrastructure or how they communicate. It is improving, but very slowly.”

FourKites pioneered real-time supply chain visibility in 2014 and has since built the world’s largest platform to track shipments across every mode of transportation, including road, rail, ocean, air, parcel and courier. The company works with some of Europe’s largest GPS hardware providers to help carriers of all sizes get GPS tracking technology at both the hardware and software levels. Globally, the company tracks more than 2 million shipments a day for more than 750 of the world’s most recognised brands.

In addition to real-time visibility, FourKites improves efficiency for carriers and drivers through digital documentation workflows, enhanced collaboration tools and mobile capabilities.

“Oleksii plays a strategic role in our major European investments, and we’re delighted to have such an experienced industry veteran onboard as we continue to drive momentum among Europe’s carrier base,” said Mathew Elenjickal, FourKites Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “His deep understanding of the European carrier landscape and his expertise in the Eastern European and Baltic regions is exactly what we need to enhance our offering for carriers. He also brings us experience with 3PL and digital freight forwarders.”

DHL makes senior management changes

Posted on by David Priestman

DHL Supply Chain has made significant changes to its senior leadership team as part of its future growth strategy. Current Chief Executive Officer DHL Supply Chain UK & Ireland, José F. Nava, moves to a new global role as Head of Next Generation Services program, DHL Supply Chain. Saul Resnick, currently Chief Executive Officer DHL Supply Chain Australia & New Zealand, replaces him as CEO, DHL Supply Chain, UK & Ireland.

The changes will be effective from 1st January 2022, with both reporting directly to Oscar de Bok, CEO, DHL Supply Chain and member of the global DHL Supply Chain Board.

Nava was appointed CEO, DHL Supply Chain UK&I in 2018 and in this time has been responsible for refocusing the business, strengthening core operations and achieving considerable productivity and profit growth. In his new role, Nava will take on responsibility for seeking out future growth opportunities and helping define the business strategy beyond 2025.

His successor, Resnick, joined DHL Supply Chain in 2005 as Director, Healthcare Australia. In 2016 he stepped into his current role as CEO Australia & New Zealand and also assumed responsibility for the Life Sciences & Healthcare business within the APAC region.

In this role, Resnick was responsible for the impressive growth of both revenue and profitability for the Australian and New Zealand businesses for the past 5+ years.

Nava said: “Over the past three-and-a-half years we have accelerated our investment on a number of fronts to consolidate our leadership position in the UK&I. These include cutting edge warehousing and fleet that lead the way in sustainability and technology, to the latest warehouse and transportation management systems.

“I’ve also learned a lot from our customers and built some great relationships; but what I’m most proud of is our expert team of colleagues who are all committed to go the extra mile for our customers while keeping each other safe day in and day out.  It’s been an amazing experience that will stay with me forever, with many great memories.”

Commenting on his appointment, Resnick added: “I’m excited to be taking on the role of CEO UK&I and building on the excellent platform created by José and his team. I look forward to the UK&I business growing its market share, and creating even more opportunities for our colleagues to develop into. We have a fantastic reputation, not just globally, but within the UK&I, and I consider it a great honour to lead our business at this time. I would like to thank José for all the effort he has put into the role, and for placing us in the strong position we find ourselves in today.”

Century Logistics appoints new MD

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Century Logistics Ltd, a leading logistics provider in the UK region of East Anglia, has appointed Stuart Ager as Managing Director. He takes over the role from founder Stephen Basey-Fisher, who started the company in Beccles 24 years ago. Basey-Fisher will become Executive Chairman and will remain an active member of the board.

Basey-Fisher said: “Stepping back from the day-to-day running of a company I feel so passionately about was never going to be an easy decision. I am confident that Stuart will take Century onto the next chapter of our ever-evolving story. During his time as Operations Director, Stuart has helped continue to grow the company whilst navigating it through the unique trading conditions of the last 18 months.”

Ager joined Century in 2017 and brings with him 20 years of experience in the logistics sector. He commented: “Over the past four years, I have seen first-hand what a great business we have, and I am determined to continue to improve Century, both for our highly valued employees and dynamic customers.”

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