Shipping, Logistics and Freight Forwarding Appointments This Month

GERMANY – Monika Ribar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Panalpina will step down at the end of May 2013. Her successor will be former Kuehne + Nagel Management Board Member Peter Ulber. This change in CEO has been planned and prepared by the Board of Directors of Panalpina. Ribar, who in addition to her role as CEO of Panalpina already serves on other companies’ boards of directors, plans now to focus more on these non-executive managerial roles for the foreseeable future.

Ribar has been a member of Panalpina’s management for almost 23 years and she has led the company as CEO for the past seven years. She will hand over her responsibilities to Ulber on June 1, 2013. Ulber left Kuehne + Nagel in May 2011 due to ‘personal reasons’. At the end of 2011, he went into business himself as co-founder and partner of the Charleston Enterprise Group, consulting in the areas of growth strategies, mergers & acquisitions, and private equity only now to be lured back by Panalpina.

 UK – UAE – Clarkson Plc has announced the retirement of Non-Executive Chairman, Bob Benton, effective August 1st. Philip Green, a now former adviser to the Prime Minister on corporate responsibility, will join the Clarksons board on 1st April as Senior Independent Director and will in turn take over Benton’s responsibilities following his retirement.

Gareth Sewell of the company’s Crude Oil desk and Sotiris Zois of the Handy desk in Dry Cargo have also been appointed to Clarkson’s board with the following appointed as Divisional Directors: David Dancy, Remco Hemminga, Mark Roberts and Stuart Taylor, all of Specialised Products, and Keith Lott of Petrochemical Gas. In addition, two Divisional Directors have been appointed within Group Administration; Alexi Arlidge becomes Director of Marketing and Events and Janet Sykes becomes Director of Communication.

UK – As of the beginning of March, Robert Waterman has been appointed CEO as at Liverpool-based CMA CGM (UK) Shipping Limited. Waterman has previously worked as Managing Director at Safmarine UK and at now dissolved company, Maersk Logistics UK. He takes over from Graham Fraser who left the company in September 2012 to pursue other interests.

UK – ABP Finance Plc announces that Robert Walvis will become Non-Executive Chairman of Associated British Ports Holdings Limited (ABPH), the direct holding company of Associated British Ports, with effect from 1 April 2013.

UK – The Board at the Stobart Group has decided that the role of Executive Chairman is no longer appropriate and Avril Palmer-Baunack will stand down from this role with immediate effect. Avril will remain on the Board as Non-Executive Chairman until a suitable independent Non-Executive Chairman is appointed and it is expected that Avril's departure will be on or around the release of the Group's results on 16 May 2013.

In addition, Senior Independent Director, Alan Kelsey, has indicated his intention to leave the Board at the same time as Avril. Rodney Baker-Bates, who had previously announced his retirement, has agreed to remain on the board as a Non-Executive Director and to assist until a new chairman is appointed.

US – President Barack Obama has designated Mario Cordero as the Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission. Mario Cordero joined the Commission as a Commissioner on June 3, 2011, having been nominated by President Obama on September 17, 2010, and confirmed by the Senate on April 14, 2011. Former Chairman, Richard Lidinsky, Jr. submitted his resignation at the end of March.

US – Effective April 1, 2013, Yoshinori Noguchi has been appointed President of Hino Motors Sales USA Inc., which operates under the name of Hino Trucks. Noguchi has been serving as a Board Member of Hino Trucks since June 2010, while also holding the title of Managing Officer at Hino Motors Limited in Japan since April 2012. Noguchi was named President of Hino Trucks after Sumio Fukaya announced his retirement effective March 31, 2013.

LATIN AMERICA – As part of the continued investment in the emerging markets of Latin America, Damco has made several key appointments to further expand the company’s activities in the Region. Stefan Bengtsson has joined Damco as Chief Finance Officer (CFO) for Latin America and Sune Stilling has transferred from his current role as Managing Director for West Africa to the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO). Both are based at the company’s Latin American offices in Panama City.

Antonio Morciano joins the firm as the Regional Head of Ocean Freight for Latin America, with David Juarez appointed as Regional Vertical Head of Retail and Lifestyle for Latin America. Finally, Enrique Fajardo has been joined Damco as Managing Director for the Andean Cluster, consisting of Colombia and Ecuador and he will continue to be based in Colombia.

COLOMBIA – INDIA – Geodis Wilson has announced the appointment of Santiago Jimeno as the new Managing Director of Colombia with immediate effect. Santiago will have full responsibility for all Geodis Wilson operations in the country and will report directly to John Gallahan, Regional Vice-President – Americas. Jimeno is replacing Leif Voelcker who has relocated to India to accept the position of Cluster Managing Director – South Asia.

AUSTRALIA – After opening its new office in Sydney, Martin Bencher has announced the appointment of Josefin Ahlgren, former Quality Manager for the Group, as Managing Director of its new facility.

FRANCE – Effective March 18, Philippe Gilbert took over the responsibility as Regional Director Europe West of DB Schenker Logistics. He is based in Paris, from where he will coordinate the DB Schenker Logistics activities in France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Gilbert’s predecessor, Karl Nutzinger, will concentrate on his responsibility as Member of the Board of Schenker AG, responsible for Land Transport.

FRANCE – The Board of Groupe Eurotunnel SA appointed Perrette Rey as an independent director of the company at its meeting on 20 March 2013. Perrette Rey replaces Mr Hugues Lepic who has stepped down from the Board.

SINGAPORE – Joy Rice has been appointed as Diageo’s new regional supply chain director Asia Pacific, based in the company’s Asian headquarters. Her new role will see Rice take leadership of Asia Pacific’s supply strategic agenda, as well as the innovation and evolution of Diageo’s Super Deluxe category.

SWITZERLAND – As from the beginning of April 2013, Cyrill Gaechter has been appointed as the new Country Manager of Gebrüder Weiss Air & Sea Switzerland. As such, he is responsible for GW’s country-wide air and sea freight business. In addition to Gaechter’s appointment, Gebrüder Weiss has announced that its new branch in Switzerland will be headed by Fiorella Orsetti. The facility will be officially opened in May 2013.