MarketWaves18 Keynote Speaker
Financial journalist and New York Times best-selling author Michael Lewis has
published 16 books on subjects ranging from politics to Wall Street. Among his books are the NYT #1 best-seller
Flash Boys, which reveals how the legal – but highly questionable – practice of high-frequency trading
allowed certain Wall Street players to work the stock market to their advantage. Three previous books – The Big
Short, The Blind Side and Moneyball – were adapted into blockbuster movies.
Lewis is a columnist for Bloomberg News and a contributing writer to Vanity
Fair. His articles have also appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Gourmet,
Slate, Sports Illustrated, Foreign Affairs and Poetry magazine. He has served as an editor and
columnist for the British weekly The Spectator and as senior editor and campaign correspondent for The
New Republic. He has filmed and narrated short pieces for ABC-TV’s Nightline; created and presented a
four-part documentary on the social consequences of the internet for the BBC; and recorded stories for the NPR show
“This American Life.”
Jason Schenker
Chairman, The Futurist Institute / President, Prestige
Economics
Ranked one of the most accurate financial forecasters and futurists in the world,
earlier this year Schenker was ranked one of the top 100 most influential financial advisors in the world by
Investopedia. He attends OPEC and U.S. Federal Reserve events, and has given keynotes for public companies, industry
groups and the Fed. He’s advised NATO and the Department of Defense on the future of work, blockchain, Bitcoin and
cryptocurrency. A columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, Schenker has written eight books, four of which have become #1
Best Sellers on Amazon. At Prestige Economics, he advises executives, industry groups, institutional investors and
central banks. He also founded The Futurist Institute in October 2016.
Jon Birger
Economist and Author, DATE-ONOMICS: How Dating Became
a Lopsided Numbers Game
Consumer trends and macro-demographics impact freight demand and flows. MarketWaves18
taps into Jon Birger to help interpret the direction of socio-demographic trends and behavior to understand how
future consumers will drive the freight market. This fascinating dive will highlight how current trends in family
dynamics will change how future generations spend their money and impact freight flows. A contributing writer for
Fortune magazine, Birger was also a senior writer at Fortune and Money. His writing has
also has appeared in Time, Barron’s, Fast Company, The Washington Post and New York magazine. He’s
also a familiar face and voice on television and radio, having appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America, BBC World
Service, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and National Public Radio.
Marc Levinson
Author, The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the
World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger
An independent historian, economist and journalist, Levinson was formerly finance and
economics editor of The Economist magazine in London, an economist for a New York bank and a senior fellow
at the Council on Foreign Relations. His book The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the
World Economy Bigger, which shows how a seemingly simple invention helped reshape the global economy, has
become a business history classic. Levinson’s most recent book, An Extraordinary Time: The End of the Postwar
Boom and the Return of the Ordinary Economy, is a groundbreaking international history of the 1970s. He
writes and speaks frequently on shipping, retailing and economic growth.
Eric Berdinis
Senior Product Manager
Eric Berdinis is the product lead for Uber Freight, an app that seamlessly connects
trucking companies with loads to haul. Previously, Eric led product for Uber’s self-driving truck team where he
oversaw the completion of the first commercial haul with an autonomous vehicle, carrying a trailer of Budweiser from
Ft. Collins to Colorado Springs. Prior to Uber, he helped bring Google’s first smartwatches to the market under the
Motorola brand. Eric is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science with a
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering.
Philip von Mecklenburg-Blumenthal, PhD
Vice President of Sales, Freightos
In his PhD thesis, Von Mecklenburg developed a product to secure ocean freight rates
with financial derivatives. He helped build the Freightos marketplace and is currently expanding Freightos’
established global success with online freight automation across enterprise shippers. He is also responsible for
expanding the reach of the Freightos Baltic Index, in cooperation with the Singapore Stock Exchange.
He previously held a variety of executive roles in both Germany and the United States
at DB Schenker, a global logistics leader.
Jaco Booyens
Chairman, Eden Green Technology
Booyens serves as President/CEO of After Eden Pictures (a film production studio). He
is a member of the executive team of Eden Green Technology and serves as Co-Chairman. As an executive and Chairman
of BC&W Solutions, his focus is on developing energy solutions in the Caribbean and strengthening the link
between U.S. energy and developing markets.
Brian Bowers
Member, FreightWaves Advisory Board
With 40 years of global transportation experience, Bowers provides a unique
multi-modal perspective. He was one of the original principals at the Hub Group, spent 10 years with Schneider
National, Inc., where he wrote and implemented the strategic plan for Schneider Intermodal, and led the creation of
cross-border intermodal and automotive networks to Mexico at Kansas City Southern Railway. He also held leadership
positions with North American Van Lines and Roadway Express. Bowers has a passion for the role Mexico plays in
global trade and the value of connectivity within the global supply chain.
Donald Broughton
Principal & Managing Partner, Broughton
Capital
Prior to starting Broughton Capital, Broughton spent nine years as the Chief Market
Strategist and Senior Transportation Analyst for Avondale Partners. Before that, he spent over 12 years at A.G.
Edwards. In addition to being the Senior Transportation Analyst, he was the Group Leader of the Industrial Analysts
and served on the firm’s Investment Strategy Committee. Prior to going to Wall Street, Broughton spent eight years
in various distribution and operations management roles in the beverage industry, including serving as the Corporate
Manager of Distribution for Dr. Pepper/Seven-Up and Chief Operating Officer for Bevmark Concepts.
Paul Cusenza
Chairman & CEO, Nodal Exchange and Nodal Clear
Cusenza led Nodal Exchange as it commenced trading in April 2009 as a commodities
exchange, providing participants the ability to trade and central counterparty clear hub, zone and nodal power
futures and options contracts in North America. The company also offers natural gas contracts and is planning to
introduce trucking freight and environmental contracts. He has over 30 years of experience in building and managing
businesses, including as co-Founder and co-President of personal genetics company, 23andMe.
Don Daseke
CEO & Chairman, Daseke, Inc.
Daseke Inc. is the largest owner of flatbed and specialized transportation in North
America. Daseke’s combined fleet of more than 5,000 tractors and 11,000 flatbed and specialized trailers serves
North America’s most respected industrial shippers. The company began trading on the NASDAQ in 2017. Daseke was the
Southwest Region winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, and in April 2018 he was inducted
into the Horatio Alger Association for Distinguished Americans, joining U.S. presidents Eisenhower, Ford and Reagan
and others.
Shaleen Devgun
Executive Vice President and CIO, Schneider
Devgun leads Schneider’s strategic technology, engineering and business transformation
initiatives as a member of the executive team. He joined Schneider in 2009 as Vice President for Strategy, Planning
and Solution Delivery and facilitated an intense program to define and implement the use of information-led business
insights across the enterprise.
Prior to joining Schneider, Devgun spent 12 years in management consulting roles with
DiamondCluster International and Deloitte.
David Dolan
Managing Director, DCS Advisory
DCS Advisory is a leading investment bank with global expertise and reach. Based in
Washington, D.C., Dolan is a Managing Director focused on M&A and capital raising for companies in the
transportation, supply chain and logistics software sectors. He has experience in the enterprise mobility, fleet
management, transportation management solutions, supply chain management and logistics technology sectors. He has
completed over 50 debt, equity and M&A transactions totaling more than $5 billion.
Prior to DCS Advisory, Dolan was a Vice President at Updata Advisors and a Senior
Associate in the investment banking group at Bear Stearns & Co. Inc.
John Engstrom
Associate, Transportation and Logistics, Stifel
John Engstrom is an Associate in Stifel’s Transportation and Logistics Investment
Banking Group. John has gained experience across a broad range of industry segments within transportation, including
truckload, LTL, logistics, brokerage, freight forwarding, warehousing, railroad, domestic maritime, freight
technology, passenger transportation, and parcel.
Prior to joining Stifel John worked in management consulting at Oliver Wyman. During
his tenure he undertook engagements involving operational improvements, special situations / corporate turnarounds,
market assessments, due diligence, growth, and organizational redesign for clients including corporate, private
equity, industry associations, and government institutions.
Robert Farrell
Chairman and CEO, GlobalTranz Enterprises, Inc.
Farrell joined GlobalTranz, a leading technology-driven freight management solution
provider, in his current role in March 2016. He has a track record of driving revenue and profit growth by creating
competitive and operational advantages. Prior to GlobalTranz he was President/CEO of Kewill, a global leader in
multimodal transportation management software. Earlier, Farrell was President/CEO of EDGAR Online, a leading global
provider of XBRL software, services and data where he managed the sale of the company to RR Donnelly & Sons.
Scott Friesen
Vice President of Strategic Analytics, Echo Global
Logistics
Echo Global Logistics (Nasdaq: ECHO) is a leading provider of technology-enabled
transportation and supply chain management services. Friesen joined Echo in 2016 and leads the analytics function
and analytic capability development for the company. He also represents Echo on the Executive Board of the
Blockchain in Transportation Alliance and serves as an adviser to an Artificial Intelligence start-up company.
Earlier in his career he served as Senior Director of Analytics for the Customer Insights Unit of Best Buy.
Eric Fuller
CEO, U.S. Xpress
Before being named President and CEO, Eric Fuller served for five years as U.S.
Xpress’ President and COO, responsible for operations including OTR, dedicated services, customer service and
planning. As company founder Max Fuller’s oldest son, he has had the unique opportunity to gain a detailed
understanding of U.S. Xpress from the inside out. He is particularly attuned to the day-to-day challenges the
employees face, because he has worked in a wide variety of roles across the company for nearly 20 years. Like his
father, Fuller is adept at inspiring people to innovate solutions for customers and the company.
Jesse Gastelle
Economist, Transportation Services Division,
USDA-AMS
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is an agency within the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA), and has programs in five commodity areas (cotton and tobacco; dairy; fruit and
vegetable; livestock and seed; and poultry). The Transportation Services Division (TSD) provides comments to federal
transportation regulatory agencies, including the Surface Transportation Board and Federal Motor Carriers Safety
Administration, on behalf of agricultural shippers under authority given the Secretary of USDA. TSD also supports
domestic and international agribusinesses through market reports and economic analysis. Gastelle’s expertise is in
railroad data and economics.
Grant Goodale
Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer,
Convoy
Each year, for every one percent improvement in truck routes and utilization, nearly
400 million gallons of fuel and 100 million hours of time can be saved, as well as three billion miles from being
driven. As more truckers and companies shipping freight join the Convoy network, its software creates smarter routes
that efficiently batch shipments for the drivers, helping their businesses thrive, saving on transportation costs
and curtailing environmental waste. Prior to Convoy, Grant worked at Amazon, founded/served as CEO of Massively Fun,
and held senior positions at multiple startups including Reactivity and Context Optional.
Nick Gowen, Sr.
Senior Vice President of Transportation, J.B. Hunt
Transport, Inc.
Nick Gowen began his career with J.B. Hunt in 1994. He spent his early years in
Dedicated Contract Services working on site with several customers in the Southeast, eventually moving into an
engineering capacity at the corporate headquarters in Lowell, AR. In 2006, he joined Intermodal and served in both
operational and pricing roles. Nick transitioned into brokerage with Integrated Capacity Solutions in the summer of
2012. Over the course of the next 4 years, he was tasked with expanding the field branch footprint, resulting in the
successful opening of over 30 field offices. In 2017 Nick assumed responsibility for all dry van brokerage.
Currently he serves as the Sr. Vice President of Marketplace representing J.B. Hunt 360, Logistics, LTL and the
brokerage pricing group.
Chris Henry
Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (TPP),
Truckload Carriers Association
TPP is an exclusive business improvement initiative of the Truckload Carriers
Association. As a member of the TPP team, Henry’s primary roles are development and marketing of the inGauge
cloud-based benchmarking service and improving industry data standardization. He is a group facilitator within the
Best Practice Group Program, currently managing and facilitating three Best Practice Groups within the Dryvan,
Refrigerated and Flatbed market segments.
Brad Hollister
CEO, SwanLeap
SwanLeap is the nation’s fastest growing private company. Under Hollister’s
leadership, SwanLeap delivered unprecedented 75,660.8 percent revenue growth over the past three years, catapulting
the five-year old software company to the top spot on the Inc. 5000 for 2018.
Chris Kirchner
CEO and Co-Founder, Slync.io
Slync is an intelligent platform redefining multi-party interaction, automation and
collaboration throughout the supply chain. Kirchner is a “serial” entrepreneur, having won an entrepreneurship award
at Butler University and forming his first business while attending the University of Kentucky. After his first
venture, Chris spent several years leading marketing and sales teams in several industries prior to starting Slync
in early 2017.
John Larkin, CFA
Managing Director, Investment Banking, Transportation
& Logistics, Stifel, Nicolaus & Co.
Larkin has been with Stifel since 2005 and heads Stifel’s investment banking,
transportation and logistics areas. Previously he led Legg Mason’s entry into the transportation markets. At Stifel,
he has received recognition from Institutional Investor, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and StarMine for
his expertise as an analyst.
Shoaib Makani
CEO and Co-Founder, KeepTruckin
KeepTruckin is a leading fleet management platform that builds modern technology
products to improve the safety and efficiency of the trucking industry.
Before KeepTruckin, Makani was an early stage investor at Khosla Ventures, where he
honed his interest in the efficiencies of online marketplaces and led investments in Instacart, Everlane,
HackerRank, and other consumer and enterprise technology companies. Prior to joining Khosla Ventures, Shoaib was an
early team member at AdMob, helping the company expand into Asia and Latin America before its acquisition by Google.
He is an active angel investor and advisor to startups.
Nimay Mehta
Partner, Lead Edge Capital
Lead Edge Capital invests in growth-stage software, Internet and consumer businesses.
Its limited partners have built and run some of the world’s most successful companies. Lead Edge Capital leverages
them to connect its clients with the customers, partners, talent and advisors needed to accelerate success. The firm
makes minority or majority investments for growth or liquidity.
Prior to Lead Edge, Nimay was on the investment teams at Eastern Advisors, Insight Venture Partners and General
Catalyst Partners, where he invested in growth-stage technology companies.
Kristi Montgomery
Vice President of Innovation, Research & Development,
Kenco Innovation Labs
Montgomery leads a team at Kenco Innovation Labs who identify, research and prototype
creative ideas with the potential to positively impact the supply chain. Collaborating with customers, entrepreneurs
and vendors from multiple industries enables Kenco to think “inside” the supply chain box and create unique,
customer-driven solutions. As the senior innovation officer, recognizing that no single approach works for every
customer, she leads R & D, utilizing design thinking and open innovation to deliver business value for the 200+
customers that Kenco serves in North America.
William O’Donnell
Managing Director, Prologis Ventures
Prologis Ventures is the innovation platform and venture capital arm of Prologis. With
over 18 years of experience in real estate and technology, O’Donnell heads this new group’s efforts to invest in
cutting-edge technology for supply-chain logistics and real estate. He joined legacy AMB in 2003 and established a
successful track record of building and acquiring investment platforms and companies globally.
Garrett Neil Olson
Head, Digital Operations & Partnerships, AP Moeller –
Maersk
Focused on improving the customer experience, increasing productivity and growing
revenue through digital innovation, Olson joined AP Moeller – Maersk
in 2016 as Strategy & Execution
Partner, managing the Digital and Commercial strategic portfolios. In 2017 he was appointed to his current position.
Olson began his career working in London for Zurich Financial Services (2006-2009) and
subsequently became Chief of Staff to the CEO General Insurance in Zurich. In late 2011 he became Head of Global
Corporate Strategy Latin America, with responsibility for strategy formulation/execution across Argentina, Brazil,
Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela. In 2014, Olson became Regional Strategy & Business Development Partner,
developing digital strategy and managing investments in artificial intelligence, big data processing and machine
learning programs.
Blake Patton
Founder/Managing Partner of Tech Square Ventures,
Managing General Partner of Engage
Patton represents Tech Square Ventures (TSV) on the boards of Cypress.io (Chairman),
Pointivo (Chairman), PreTel Health, Sequr and UserIQ and is a board observer of Haste and Salesfusion. Engage is an
innovative venture fund and go-to-market program in partnership with 11 corporations and Georgia Tech.
Before founding TSV, he was General Manager of the Advanced Technology Development
Center (ATDC) at Georgia Tech – named by Forbes as one of the “Top 12 Incubators Changing the World.” He
also served as President/COO of Interactive Advisory Software and EVP of iXL and founded Siteman, one of the first
cloud offerings in the online content management space.
Patton serves as Chairman of the Center for American Entrepreneurship and on the
boards of Georgia Advanced Technology Ventures and Southern Capital Forum. He is also a former Chairman of Venture
Atlanta and an instructor at Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business.
Benjamin Pruzan
Analyst, Insight Venture Partners
Insight Venture Partners is a leading global private equity and venture capital firm
founded in 1995. The firm invests in growth-stage technology, software and Internet businesses.
Prior to joining Insight in 2016, Pruzan worked at RRE Ventures investing in
early-stage companies and PAI Partners in London focusing on leveraged buyouts.
Angel Pu
Vice President, Warburg Pincus
Founded in 1966, Warburg Pincus LLC is a leading global private equity firm focused
on growth investing. The firm has more than $45 billion in private equity assets under management. Its active
portfolio of more than 165 companies is highly diversified by stage, sector and geography. Pu joined the Technology,
Media & Telecom group of the firm in 2013, and leads investments in supply chain and logistics. Prior to
Warburg, she was at Goldman Sachs in the Investment Banking Division.
Eric Rempel
Chief Innovation Officer, Redwood Logistics
Joining Redwood in 2004 as its chief technology officer (CTO), Rempel played a key
role in the creation of a Redwood flagship product – its proprietary transportation management system (TMS). He led
the design of Redwood’s TMS by integrating powerful transportation automation into customer supply chains, based on
a web interface that can be accessed with an internet connection. TMS remains an integral part of how Redwood
delivers value to its brokerage clients. Rempel became Redwood Logistics’ Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) in 2017,
focusing on developing diverse solutions and services for clients.
He founded 3PLogic in 2009, (now Redwood Supply Chain Solutions, or SCS). Focused on
integrated enterprise systems, 3PLogic’s technology was the catalyst for RedwoodConnectSM , a supply-chain
integration platform. From 2010-2015 Redwood SCS grew exponentially ( by over 8,000%).
David Roush
President, KSM Transport Advisors, LLC
David Roush is president of KSM Transport Advisors, LLC (KSMTA), where his focus
includes clients’ freight networks, financial management, operational metrics and optimization strategies. He also
has experience in providing merger and acquisition (M&A) services to his clients.
David’s industry experience spans more than 20 years of real-world analysis and
implementation. He developed the tools and business practices utilized in KSMTA’s freight network optimization
practice while working as a trucking executive and owner. In addition to top-line revenue management and
optimization, David has a thorough understanding of the trucking P&L and balance sheet and the functions
supporting the various line items.
Chris Stallman, CFA
Partner, Fontinalis Partners, LLC
Fontinalis Partners is a $170 million venture capital firm investing in the future of
mobility. At Fontinalis, Stallman is responsible for leading and supporting investments across a variety of
next-generation mobility segments. He serves on the firm’s investment committee, leading and supporting investments
across a variety of next-generation mobility segments on a stage-agnostic basis.
J. Scott Susich
Director of Data Analytics and Advisory Services, DTN,
LLC
DTN empowers customers with decision-support solutions in agriculture, energy,
commodity and financial analytics, and weather-sensitive industries. DTN is based in Minneapolis with offices
globally. Susich was founding partner/Co-President of Energy Management Institute (EMI), which was acquired by DTN
in April 2018. He also has worked with energy producers, distributors and retailers, as well as fleet and facility
operators in the oil, gas and power industries. Susich has testified in the U.S. Senate on fuel pricing; assisted
the IRS in fuel tax evasion investigations; and been an industry authority for The Wall Street Journal, USA
Today, CNN and major broadcast networks.
Jeff Tucker
CEO, Tucker Company Worldwide
Tucker is the third-generation CEO of Tucker Company Worldwide, America’s oldest
privately held freight brokerage. He also is the immediate past chairman of the board for the Transportation
Intermediaries Association (TIA) and co-authored TIA’s “Carrier Selection Framework.” He has testified before
Congress, and has advised on national highway safety matters at the request of the FMCSA Administrator. Tucker is a
member of the National Industrial Transportation League board and chairs its Highway Transportation Committee. His
commentaries have appeared in Journal of Commerce, Logistics Management, Transport Topics, Defense
Transportation Journal, American Journal of Transportation, Logistics Journal and The Wall Street
Journal.
Doug Waggoner
Chairman of the Board of Directors/Chief Executive
Officer, Echo Global Logistics
Waggoner became CEO of Echo Global Logistics (NASDAQ: ECHO) in 2006 when the company
was one year old and had revenues of $35 million. He has built Echo into a publicly traded, nearly $2 billion
provider of technology-enabled transportation management.
Before Echo, Waggoner founded SelecTrans, LLC, a freight-management software provider,
grew revenue and improved efficiency as CEO of USF Bestway and served as Senior Vice President of Strategic
Marketing at USF Corporation. He also held positions at Daylight Transport (including President/Chief Operating
Officer) and YRC Freight (culminating in Vice President of Customer Service).
Waggoner serves on the Board of Directors of SP+ and Daylight Transport. He is on the
Northwestern University Business Advisory Committee for the Transportation Center and an advisor to the Center for
Supply Chain Management at Marquette University.
Alden Woodrow
Expert, Autonomous Trucking
Alden Woodrow is the co-founder and CEO of Ike, a self-driving truck startup based in
San Francisco. Ike’s mission is to make trucks safer, truckers more valuable, and trucking more efficient.. Alden
has over a decade of experience developing automated technologies for power, aerospace, and trucking. Alden most
recently held senior product management roles at Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group (via Otto, acquired in 2016) and
Google’s X lab (via Makani Power, acquired in 2013), and previously was an economic and environmental consultant on
projects ranging from climate change policy to dog house manufacturing. Alden is a graduate of Middlebury College,
and holds an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business with a focus on new product development.
Mark Yeager
Chief Executive Officer, Redwood Logistics
Yeager is CEO of Redwood Logistics and a Senior Adviser at CI Capital Partners, a
leading New York City-based private equity firm with $1.9 billion in assets under management. Prior to joining
Redwood Logistics and CI, he served in a variety of roles at Hub Group, Inc. Yeager was Vice Chairman of the Board
from November 2008 through August 2015, President from January 2005 through August 2015 and Chief Operating Officer
from May 2004 through August 2015. During his 23-year career at Hub he was also President of Field Operations,
Division President and Secretary and General Counsel.
FreightWaves Industry Specialists
Craig Fuller
CEO & Managing Director, FreightWaves / Managing
Director, Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA)
Craig Fuller is the CEO and Managing Director of FreightWaves, the largest provider of
news, content, data and analytics for the freight and logistics markets. FreightWaves is the #1 trafficked news site
in the freight industry globally, and the creator of the SONAR Freight Market Dashboard. The company is also the
founder of Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), a forum of technology companies, manufacturers, carriers, 3PLs
and shippers committed to implementing blockchain technology standards and education for the freight industry. Prior
to founding FreightWaves, Fuller was the founder and CEO of TransCard, a fleet payment processor that was sold to US
Bank. He also has been deep in the freight industry, having founded and managed the largest provider of on-demand
trucking services in North America, the Xpress Direct division of U.S. Xpress Enterprises.
George Abernathy
Chief Revenue Officer, FreightWaves
Abernathy has responsibility for all revenue and commercial efforts at FreightWaves,
including SaaS, Trucking Freight Futures and membership engagements. He is the former President of Transplace, a
leading provider of non-asset based third-party logistics and truck brokerage services. He also held the COO role
and was a key contributor in the company’s sale to Greenbriar Equity Partners in 2013. Abernathy has more than 30
years of supply chain and transportation industry leadership experience with carrier, broker and technology
companies. Previously, he held senior management positions at J.B. Hunt, Logistics.com, Sabre, Transflo and North
American Van Lines.
Ibrahiim Bayaan
Chief Economist, FreightWaves
Bayaan serves as FreightWaves’ subject matter expert on macroeconomic conditions and
the effects that they have on freight markets. He writes regularly on economic developments and provides critical
analysis on the outlook for freight. Prior to joining FreightWaves, he led economic analysis at UPS, a role he began
in 2010. He played a key role in revamping UPS’ international, domestic and regional forecasting procedures,
developing statistical models explaining macroeconomic activity and the effects on transportation patterns. Bayaan
was also responsible for disseminating the economic outlook inside and outside of UPS, delivering key insights on
the economy and effects on the transportation industry.
Fergus Caldicott
Chief Operating Officer, FreightWaves
Caldicott is passionate about providing the right solutions to customers that deliver
on their needs. At FreightWaves, he is responsible for the product, technology and data science teams. Previously he
was Vice President Technology at DAT Solutions, the largest freight load board and freight data analytics provider.
Caldicott also served as General Manager of Getloaded Inc and was instrumental in its acquisition, executive
management and eventual integration into DAT. He has also served on the board of the Transportation Intermediaries
Association. Caldicott has more than 25 years of experience leading world-class software organizations, from small
Bay Area startups to multinationals such as BT and Mars Incorporated.
John Kingston
Executive Editor, FreightWaves
Kingston works with the editorial team to broaden coverage, content and data that
readers need to understand how the freight markets are impacted by regulatory, economic, technology and business
developments. Much of his career was spent at McGraw-Hill/S&P Global, primarily at the Platts division. He was
Platts’ leading “talking head,” appearing on television business shows and presenting at conferences on energy and
blockchain issues. In 2015 he joined S&P’s management team, serving as President of the McGraw Hill Financial
Institute and Director of Global Market Insights. He launched the S&P Global Task Force on Blockchain to
determine how the nascent technology would impact the company.
Dean Croke
Chief Analytics Officer, FreightWaves
At FreightWaves, Dean Croke is active in vehicle telematics, data analytics, data
science and standards development at BiTA. Prior to joining FreightWaves, Croke was Vice President of Data Products
at Spireon, where he led the development of high-frequency telematics data products. He also ran Lancer’s long-haul
truck insurance business after years as Vice President of Omnitracs Analytics, where he developed data science
technologies for transportation companies. Croke was one of the founders of FleetRisk Advisors (which became
Omnitracs Analytics) and has 35 years of experience in data analytics, transportation, supply chain management, data
mining and insurance risk management.
Lisa McGinty
Chief Marketing Officer, FreightWaves
McGinty leads FreightWaves’ marketing and corporate communications functions. She is a
seasoned marketing executive with nearly 30 years of experience developing and marketing brands and services across
financial markets, payments and freight transportation industries. She held senior marketing roles at Thomson
Reuters, GlobalView Software, edo Interactive and most recently, Fleetcor. McGinty is experienced in leading
marketing and branding efforts for mature businesses representing over $250 million in annual revenue, as well as
bootstrapping as an early stage employee at innovative technology start-ups.
John Paul Hampstead
Associate Editor
John Paul writes about current events and economics, especially politics, finance, and
commodities, and holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Michigan. In previous lives John Paul
studied Shakespeare in London and Buddhism in India, but now he focuses on transportation and logistics in the heart
of Freight Alley–Chattanooga. He spends his free time with his wife and daughter herding cats, collecting books,
and walking alongside the Tennessee River.
Kirk Purcell
VP of Predictive Analytics
In FreightWaves’ SONAR platform, Purcell works with clients across the freight market
to help them utilize SONAR and the data it generates for predictive and actionable outcomes. He coordinates internal
efforts between FreightWaves’ data science, product and editorial teams to deepen the company’s engagement with
existing and prospective clients. In addition, Purcell helps clients build predictive decision-making tools aligned
with internal workflow processes.
Prior to joining FreightWaves, he redefined the data infrastructure and established a
strong business intelligence capability in a mid-sized third-party logistics (3PL) company and spent 12 years with a
global oil exploration company in various roles that included corporate strategy, financial modeling for capital
decisions, project management and logistics asset management.
Daniel Pickett, CFA
Chief Data Strategist, FreightWaves
Pickett leads the FreightWaves data team collecting, cleaning and analyzing freight
market data to drive actionable insights in the freight markets. The data team is focused on finding industry
activity metrics to inform the freight/logistics community about market conditions at the local (not national)
level. Using his career blend of technology and capital markets, Pickett is also focused on what real-time logistics
data can provide regarding the health of the economy, the consumer and global trade.
Jenny Xu
Managing Director, Freight.Tech
Xu leads Freight.Tech, a startup and innovation engagement platform connecting early
and growth-stage startups with investors, strategic partners and leading corporations. She founded the Commercial
Emerging Technology group at Bridgestone Americas, leading the design, development and launch of technology-enabled
solutions for commercial fleets, and building capabilities in lean startups, design thinking and partnership with
tech startup and venture capital communities.