Staff Appointments and Departures Related to the Freight and Logistics Sectors

WORLDWIDE – GERMANY – In preparation for its spin-off from Daimler AG and its independent listing on the Frankfurt stock exchange planned for late 2021, Daimler Truck AG is announcing the composition of its new Board of Management and a series of significant management and organisational changes, set to take place as of July 1.

Daimler Truck AG is bringing together all essential technology and powertrain activities into one division, the Truck Technology Group (TT). This will be headed by Dr. Andreas Gorbach. Gorbach is currently CEO of the fuel cell joint venture cellcentric with Volvo Group.

Sven Ennerst, previously responsible for Development, Purchasing and Region China, will continue as General Representative China until the end of the year. Dr. Frank Reintjes, previously responsible for the Global Powertrain division, will accompany the realignment of Daimler Truck AG as a Senior Executive Advisor to the CEO until the end of the year. Both executives will start their retirement at the end of the year.

Employees of the future Daimler Truck Financial Services organisation will transfer from Daimler Mobility AG to the new company ahead of the planned spin-off and listing and become part of the worldwide Daimler Truck family. The management of this new in-house financial services unit will be taken over by Stephan Unger from July 1. In this capacity Unger will become a member of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck AG as of that date.

Daimler Truck CEO Martin Daum leads the company with a Board of Management team that has all the prerequisites to align for a future independent Daimler Truck AG. Karin Rådström is responsible for the Europe and Latin America regions and the Mercedes-Benz Truck brand. John O'Leary, as CEO of Daimler Trucks North America, is responsible for the North America region and the Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses brands.

Hartmut Schick, as CEO of Daimler Trucks Asia, is responsible for the Asia region and the FUSO and BharatBenz brands. Dr. Andreas Gorbach will head the Truck Technology Group in future. Stephan Unger will be responsible on the Board of Management for the future Daimler Truck Financial Services. Jochen Götz is responsible for Finance and Controlling. Jürgen Hartwig is responsible for Human Resources.

GERMANY – cargo.one has announced Simson Demmer, as Senior Director, Airline Products.

GERMANY – The Offen Group has named Dr Arnt Vespermann, former CEO of Hamburg Süd, to succeed Claus-Peter Offen as CEO of the Offen Group, effective January 1, 2022, Claus-Peter Offen is stepping away from the day-to-day operations of the company and is set to continue to be involved with the company he founded as the Group’s new Chair. Vespermann recently left Hamburg Süd after 22 years.

GERMANY – Thomas Miller Specialty, a global insurance provider across a number of sectors including marine and offshore, has hired consultant Sven-Erik Braun to bolster the strategic business development of its European offering, Thomas Miller Insurance (Germany), in Hamburg.

ITALY – The d'Amico Group has announced that Cesare d'Amico, Chief Executive Officer of d'Amico Società di Navigazione SpA, the holding company of the Italian ship-owner, has taken over the role of CEO of the Dry Cargo business unit operating a fleet of dry cargo vessels.

Emanuele d'Amico, who is already in charge of the commercial functions of the Dry Cargo business unit, has taken the role of Managing Director, with the assignment of the overall management of the core business functions. Benjamin Wilkes has been confirmed in the role of Chief Operating Officer and Giovanni Capello in that of Chief Financial Officer.

UK – Christopher Rodrigues CBE has been named as the new Non-Executive Chair of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Rodrigues brings extensive international experience as a Chair of public, private and government sector bodies, and since 2016 as Chair of the Port of London.

UK – Catholic charity Stella Maris has appointed three new Trustees; Fr David Burke, Captain John Hood and James Brennan.

Fr David Burke is a Catholic priest with the Westminster Archdiocese and leads the parishes of Sacred Heart, Berkhamsted and Corpus Christi, Tring. He previously worked as lay port chaplain for Stella Maris in the ports of Hull and Goole.

Former seafarer, Captain Hood is responsible for Advocacy at The Seafarers’ Charity (formerly Seafarers UK) and is a long-standing parish promoter for Stella Maris in Scotland.

James Brennan is Portfolio Director in the Charity team at Cazenove Capital and has served on Stella Maris’ Board in the past.

UK – UM Terminals has appointed Vic Brodrick as its new Commercial Director effective May 1.

UK – The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has named Lloyd’s Register CEO Nick Brown as its Incoming Council Chair, effective July 1. This is the first time that the IACS Chair has been chosen by the Association’s Members and not by rotation, a move that follows governance changes announced in December last year. As part of those changes, Brown’s term of office will run until December 31, 2023.

As part of the new model, Li Zhiyuan of the China Classification Society was appointed as Chair of the General Policy Group (GPG) for a three-year period starting July 1. Li also acted as GPG Chair between 2016 and 2017.

UK – The Rail Freight Group (RFG) has announced the appointment of Phil Smart as its new Assistant Policy Manager. He will work closely with Director-General Maggie Simpson and play a key role in RFG’s engagement with both regional and national government. He will also help support the group’s members in disseminating complex transport strategy amid a changing and dynamic sector that is increasingly focused on decarbonisation.

Phil has a local government background, having worked in the education field with Essex County Council. He also serves on Ipswich Borough Council, where he has accumulated a wealth of environment and transport policy experience over many years. He is also the author of several policy papers for the campaign group Railfuture.

UK – The Pall-Ex Group has announced Mark Barlow as its new Network Development Director.

UK – Scania Great Britain has announced the appointment of James Armstrong as its new Managing Director, effective July 1. Armstrong will succeed Martin Hay who leaves the business at the end of June.

Armstrong is currently MD of Scania CER (Central Europe Region) where he is based in Prague, overseeing the operations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.

UK – Jennifer Smith has joined Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) as UK Commercial Director – Cargo & Ground Handling. She brings extensive commercial experience to this newly-created post having previously spent 20 years in regional cargo sales management roles with Continental Airlines, American Airlines and Etihad Airways. Jennifer joins WFS from Air New Zealand, where she held the post of Regional Cargo Sales Manager – UK & Europe.

UK – Sentinel Marine has announced the appointment of John Black as its new Chief Financial Officer, based at the company’s Aberdeen office.

IRELAND – EFL International Distribution has appointed Kevin Blake as Sales and Development Manager. Blake was previously operations manager at Freighteam Ireland

DENMARK – MOZAMBIQUE – Effective May 2, Tina Benjamin-Lea will take up the position as new COO in Svitzer’s AMEA region, reporting to Svitzer AMEA’s Managing Director, Nicolai Vinther Friis. Benjamin-Lea joins Svitzer from a position as Logistics Director with AMALAA in Saudi Arabia where she spearheaded Construction Logistics as a member of the Delivery Senior Leadership Team.

Effective May 1, Guilherme Gazabim takes on the position as Country Manager for Svitzer in Mozambique. Gazabim comes from a position as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Nacala Corridor, a Vale and Mitsui JV.

US – Polly Trottenberg has been sworn in as the Deputy Secretary of Transportation. Trottenberg brings more than 25 years of public sector experience across all levels of government to the role. Most recently, she served for seven years as the Transportation Commissioner for New York City.

Previously, Trottenberg served in the Obama administration as the Assistant Secretary and Under Secretary for Policy at the Department of Transportation (DOT).

The DOT has also announced that it has appointed a Chief Science Officer for the entire Department for the first time in over four decades, as the DOT looks to tackle the climate emergency, a key commitment of the Biden-Harris Administration, and restore scientific integrity.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has designated the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology as the Department’s Chief Science Officer. Dr. Robert Hampshire, PhD, is currently acting in this role. In his role as Chief Science Officer, Dr. Hampshire will serve as the principal advisor to Secretary Buttigieg on science and technology issues.

US – Current Deputy Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Meera Joshi, has been nominated to lead the agency as Administrator. Joshi, a former Chair and CEO of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, has served as the agency’s acting administrator since January 20.

The FMCSA has been without a permanent Administrator since October 2019 when Ray Martinez stepped down from the role.

US – Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS) has elected Frank Voyack as the company’s Vice President of Government Relations, effective May 1. Voyack succeeds Marque Ledoux, who is retiring after 18 years with the company.

Voyack will assume the responsibility of leading the railroad’s efforts in Washington, D.C., overseeing the railroad’s federal, state and local government relations, educating lawmakers on the company’s role in supporting the overall economy, and guiding public policy initiatives and engagement.

Voyack, who joined Norfolk Southern in 2008, most recently served as Assistant Vice President Government Relations.

US – XPO Logistics has announced that Mark Manduca will become the Chief Investment Officer of GXO Logistics, the intended spin-off of XPO’s logistics business, effective in May.

US – Paul Menaker, Ph.D., has been promoted to STV Vice President. In his new role, he will manage large-scale projects for the firm's systems practice and develop new business opportunities throughout Northern California.

US – Harland & Wolff has announced the appointment of Graham Couser as its new Head of Business Development for Cruise, based in Miami, Florida. Prior to joining Harland & Wolff, Couser served as Senior Vice President at Grand Bahama Shipyard.

US – Flock Freight has announced Melina Fairleigh as Senior Vice President of People and the promotion of Luis Saenz to Chief Technology Officer.

US – Unique Logistics International has named Eli Kay as Chief Financial Officer, effective since April 26. He is responsible for all aspects of financial management including required SEC reporting and compliance. Kay most recently served as a CFO for Transit Wireless, an exclusive provider of wireless infrastructure in the New York City Subway.

Photo: Andreas Gorbach will join the Daimler Truck AG board to lead the Truck Technology Group.