Global Appointments in the Transport Associated Professions Announced

UK – Forth Ports, which owns and operates eight commercial ports in the UK and is the country’s third largest port operator, has announced three new leadership roles as it restructures its senior team to reflect the increasing importance of its ports in the offshore renewables sector and the general supply chain.

David Webster has been appointed as Director of Energy. David will be responsible for integrating Forth Ports’ energy team in Scotland with a view to building on Forth Ports’ position in the energy sector, and in particular, offshore renewables. David will report directly to CEO, Charles Hammond, and will retain his existing responsibilities as Senior Port Manager responsible for the ports of Dundee and Leith, where Forth Ports is currently constructing a £40 million offshore renewables hub.

Ross McKissock has been appointed as Director of Unitised, responsible for integrating the commercial team on unitised container and trailer cargo across the Group and growing volume. Ross will retain his responsibilities for running London Container Terminal and will continue to report to Paul Dale, Asset & Site Director at the Port of Tilbury.

Derek Knox has been appointed as Head of Operations Scottish Ports. Derek will have strategic and operational responsibility for delivering quality performance and maximum efficiency across Forth Ports’ Scottish Ports. He will retain his specific responsibilities as Senior Port Manager at the Port of Grangemouth, Scotland’s largest container port, and Forth Ports’ Fife ports, including the Port of Rosyth. Derek will continue to report to Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer.

UK – Volta Trucks, the full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer, has confirmed the appointment of Steve Dichter as Chief Strategy Officer, with immediate effect. Dichter replaces Casper Norden, who’s been appointed as Chief Fleet Solutions Officer, responsible for the implementation of the company’s Truck as a Service offer.

Steve Dichter brings over 40 years’ experience in building high performing businesses and cultures. Most of his career was with McKinsey & Company where he was a senior partner and a leader of their worldwide organisation performance practice. Latterly, he served as Chief Operating Officer at Agility Logistics, focused on integrating over 40 acquisitions and achieving consistent profitability and growth. He received an MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.

UK – Due to cargo capacity constraints because of the ongoing reduction in global flights B&H Worldwide says it is enhancing its services to key locations including the USA, Latin America, Asia and intra-Europe. It has therefore recently appointed product service Manager Gustavo Mundel to be responsible for leading the development and market roll-out of B&H’s both Onboard Courier (OBC) services and new product offerings, to customers and its agent network to drive competitiveness.

NETHERLANDS – Having acquired CLIVE Data Services this week (See Snippets) CLIVE’s Managing Director, Niall van de Wouw now becomes Xeneta’s Chief Airfreight Officer.

US – Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics, developer of autonomous command and control systems for commercial vessels has announced the formation of a strategic advisory board made up of the following respected leaders. Rear Admiral Mark Buzby, administrator of the US Maritime Administration (MARAD), retired rear admiral US Navy, Kathleen Haines, independent director of Genco Shipping & Trading Limited and principal of Holbridge Capital Advisors, Denise Kurtulus, vice president of global marine business, Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems, and Rear Admiral Mary E. Landry, director at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Ltd. and United Services Automobile Association (USAA), as well as retired rear admiral US Coast Guard.

Immediate priorities for the board members include providing real-world feedback for product development and positioning; direction on market challenges and opportunities; and forward-thinking counsel on the company’s larger goal of developing an innovative network of autonomous and connected vessels that will revitalize the oceanic supply chain.

US – PayCargo has announced the appointment of Todd Pigeon as Vice President - Sales over the North American East Coast Region further accelerating the growth of the company’s online payment platform. Todd Pigeon will be based at PayCargo’s global headquarters in Coral Gables, Florida, from where he will lead a regional team focused on both payer and vendor business development in the North American East Coast Region.

He will also be responsible for leading PayCargo’s Miami-based Inside Sales Team and involved in furthering PayCargo’s salesforce evolution. Pigeon brings global experience within the AP Moller Maersk Group, spanning commercial leadership roles throughout Latin America, China, Europe, and, most recently, the United States, including the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Sealand, a Maersk Company.

US – Nexshore, which powers the ‘OneRecord’ air cargo logistics data-sharing platform, has appointed Lionel van der Walt, Global Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of PayCargo, LLC to its Advisory Board. Lionel spent the early part of his career in the South African Air Force and later over a decade with IATA, where he held various leadership roles based out of South Africa, Spain, and the United States, including President of Cargo Network Services Corp. (CNS), IATA’s US cargo subsidiary. He joined PayCargo LLC in 2018, initially as a Board Member, becoming Chief Executive Officer and President for the Americas in 2019 and taking up his current role as Global CCO in 2021.

SWEDEN – Seably, the global online marketplace for maritime bespoke training, has appointed engineering specialist Aashish Puri as Head of Engineering. During his 18 years at Maersk, he headed up the crewing team and was responsible for the safe, reliable, and cost-effective crew management of 120 Maersk Line-owned vessels including the Triple E class vessels. He headed up South Pacific Manning Services on behalf of six German partner shipping companies employing Kiribati crew on board vessels. He also led the complete integration of the entire Hamburg Sud fleet into Maersk Line fleet from a crewing perspective.

His most recent role was at Maritime, Oil and Gas Consulting Services Ltd where he was the Global Director of Strategic Partnerships. Aashish holds a Certificate of Competency Chief Engineer Officer from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), and a Diploma in Maritime Studies from the Singapore Maritime Academy (SMA). He already holds a Master’s in Business Administration and is currently pursuing his second Masters and is a progressive and accomplished keynote speaker.

Photo: L to R : David Webster, Ross McKissock and Derek Knox, who take up new positions with Forth Ports.