Round Up of Shipping, Freight and Logistics Staff News This Week

US – We start this week’s shipping, logistics and other transport related staff movements with the sad news that long-time member of the Board of Directors at Old Dominion Freight Line, has died following a battle with cancer, at the age of 80. Congdon joined ODFL in 1951, and held numerous positions within the company, up to and including Senior Vice President and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. After serving in the US Army as a military policeman, Jack Congdon returned to join his mother and older brother, Earl Congdon Jr., to build the family business, Old Dominion Freight Line. Jack participated in growing the company through a number of geographic expansions and acquisitions with his extensive knowledge of equipment management and dedicated logistics whilst also founding Old Dominion Truck Leasing.

UK – Alan Olivier, Chief Executive Officer of Grindrod Limited, was elected Chairman and President of the UK P&I Club at their recent Board meeting. He succeeds Dino Caroussis, of Chios Navigation, who has retired from the Board.

Seven new Directors have also joined the UK Board. Sheikh Talal Al-Khalid Al Sabah, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company; Angela Chao, Foremost Group, New York; Michael Fostiropoulos, Almi Tankers, Athens; Polys Hajioannou, Safe Bulkers, Athens; Edouard Louis-Dreyfus, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, Paris; Paul Wogan, Gaslog, Monaco; and Riad Zein, Naftomar Shipping & Trading, Athens.

UK – Gefco UK has appointed Rob Brown as its new head of the Air and Sea freight (Overseas) Division.

UK – Current Head of Legal and an Operations Board Director at London Stansted Airport Graeme Ferguson, has been appointed as the new cargo director for the Manchester Airports Group. He replaces John Froggatt, who after 30 years with the business is retiring from his role as Cargo and Commercial Bid Director, at the end of this month. In his new role, Ferguson will focus on developing the cargo side of the business across the Group’s four airports - London Stansted, Manchester, East Midlands and Bournemouth.

UK – FairFuel UK founder and campaigner Peter Carroll, who was also Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Maidstone and the Weald in 2010, has taken up a new role as Special Adviser to Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander.

UK – Jungheinrich has announced the appointment of Nigel Avison as the company’s new Product Sales Manager for racking and storage systems for the South-East Region of the UK. Avison joins Jungheinrich having spent the last 12 years working as an independent consultant within the storage industry. 

UK – IRELAND – Tom Wilson, the Freight Transport Association’s General Manager – Ireland, will be retiring from the association on Friday 8 November. Wilson has made a major contribution towards developing the Association’s profile and influence in Northern Ireland, and his extensive experience has more recently been invaluable in the development of FTA Ireland in Dublin. Seamus Leheney has been appointed Policy and Member Relations Manager – Northern Ireland.

BELGIUM – FedEx Express has announced the appointment of David Binks as Regional President of FedEx Express in Europe, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa (EMEA), effective January 1, 2014. He will succeed Gerald P. Leary, who is retiring from FedEx Express after 39 years of service.

In his new role, Binks will be responsible for the broader leadership and strategic direction of FedEx Express across the entire EMEA region. He will be based at the company's EMEA headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Michael Holt, currently CEO of FedEx UK and Vice President of Operational Integration Europe, will assume Binks’ current role of Senior Vice President of European Operations.

NETHERLANDS – Ceva Logistics has announced the appointment of Peter Dew as President, Asia Pacific, formalising the role he has held on an interim basis since July. Dew has been a member of Ceva’s Executive Board since 2008.

NETHERLANDS – TNT Express has appointed Chris Goossens to a newly created Management Board-level position, Managing Director Customer Experience, effective immediately. She will lead a dedicated Customer Experience team, responsible for perfecting customers' door-to-door experience.

SWITZERLAND – Panalpina’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), Rod Angwin, has been appointed to the company’s Executive Board, effective January 1 2014. Angwin joined Panalpina in September 2012.

FINLAND – The Board of Directors of Finnlines has accepted Uwe Bakosch’s request to leave his function as the CEO and President of Finnlines Plc, Helsinki, in favour of concentrating entirely on heading Finnlines Deutschland Gmbh as of November 5, 2013. Taking over from Bakosch, Emanuele Grimaldi has been appointed as the new CEO and President of the company but he will step down from his position as Chairman of the Board of Director and will be replaced by Jon-Aksel Torgersen.

JAMAICA – President and CEO of the Port Authority of Jamaica, Noel Hylton, has retired after almost 40 years at the top. Professor Gordon Shirley has replaced Hylton.

US – RoadOne IntermodaLogistics has announced the appointment of Rick Longerbeam as Terminal Manager for RoadOne IntermodaLogistics’ Norfolk, Virginia location. Longerbeam will lead RoadOne’s expansion in this market to support the intermodal needs of customers in the Southeast trade region.

US – Shapiro has announced the addition of William Borden to its team headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. Borden will take up the role of Regional Director of Commercial Development.

US – Shaun Hawkett has been appointed as Commercial Director US for Globe Air Cargo to support ECS Group’s planned expansion of its GSSA business in North America. In this newly-created role Hawkett will be based in New York.

US – Air T has announced the resignation of Walter Clark as Chief Executive Officer and President. In addition, Clark has conditionally resigned as a Director, effective November 13, with William Simpson, an Executive Vice President of Air T and the President of Air T's Mountain Air Cargo subsidiary, elected as a Director to replace Clark. Current Board Chairman Nick Swenson has been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer.

US – John Reinhart will become the new Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Virginia Port Authority, effective February 2014. He takes over from Rodney Oliver, the agency’s Chief Financial Officer, who has held the position on an interim basis since September 2012.