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Executive Moves: From Bestpass to Yusen

A contract is extended, a chairman is elected and industry leaders are promoted in Europe, Asia and the United States.

   The supervisory board of Hapag-Lloyd AG on Wednesday unanimously agreed to extend the contract of Chief Executive Officer Rolf Habben Jansen for an additional five years, until March 31, 2024.
   “With Rolf Habben Jansen at the head, Hapag-Lloyd has further improved its position as a leading global liner shipping company in a challenging market environment and as an active driver of industry consolidation. The extension of his contract ensures continuity in the corporate management. We have thereby created the best conditions for the continuation of the successful course of Hapag-Lloyd. I am very much looking forward to our further cooperation,” said Michael Behrendt, chairman of the supervisory board.
   Other members of the Hapag-Lloyd executive board are Chief Financial Officer Nicolás Burr, Chief Operations Officer Anthony J. Firmin and Chief Procurement Officer Joachim Schlotfeldt. 
  
   Andy Fitt has been named managing director of Yusen Logistics UK. He succeeds Kevin Appleton, now chairman of Yusen UK.
   Fitt has been with the business for more than three years, serving as business unit director and, most recently, deputy managing director. He previously held positions at CEVA, Norbert Dentressangle UK and TNT Logistics.
   “The UK is a highly competitive and challenging market, with strategic importance for customers in all of our core vertical markets,” Fitt said. “I look forward to further enhancing our performance and delivering on our M&A strategy whilst ensuring business continuity through future challenges. As always, we will place customers at the heart of our business.”
  
   Mark Guthrie has been named KVH Industries’ vice president for the Asia-Pacific region. He will be based out of the mobile tech innovator’s Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore.
   “The maritime industry is in the midst of a digital transformation, and this region with its busy ports sees more commercial maritime traffic than any other part of the world,” Guthrie said. “As a market leader in maritime VSAT, KVH is committed to helping ship operators take advantage of the benefits of connectivity with new HTS products and subscription-based offerings that truly meet the needs of the industry.”
   Guthrie joined KVH in 2013 and most recently served as vice president for global channel management. His extensive experience in the satellite communications and telecom industries includes roles held at SES, British Telecom Europe Star and Verestar.

   Bestpass, a company that provides single-source payment and streamlined toll-management services to commercial fleets, has promoted Alison Knowlton to vice president of operations.
   Previously the senior director of customer experience, Knowlton now will be responsible for aligning the company’s vision with its operational realities across every division, managing a wide variety of strategic initiatives from conception to completion.
   Knowlton has more than 15 years of professional experience in operational management, project management, customer service, marketing and communications, and systems analysis. Prior to joining Bestpass in 2013, she held multiple leadership positions in the software industry.

   Sean van Dort has been confirmed as chairman of the Global Shippers Forum.
   He is director of logistics and digital services integration for MAS Capital, an apparel manufacturer based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and has been a member of the GSF board since 2015. Until recently, van Dort was chairman of the Sri Lankan Shippers Council.  
   He succeeds Bob Ballantyne, chief executive of the Freight Management Association of Canada, who has chaired the GSF since its incorporation in 2011. 
   The Global Shippers Forum represents the interests of national and regional shippers organizations in Asia, Europe, North and South America and Africa. It is focused on the impact of commercial developments in the international freight transportation industry and the policy decisions of governments and international organizations that affect shippers and receivers of freight. 

Kim Link Wills

Senior Editor Kim Link-Wills has written about everything from agriculture as a reporter for Illinois Agri-News to zoology as editor of the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. Her work has garnered awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Magazine Association of the Southeast. Prior to serving as managing editor of American Shipper, Kim spent more than four years with XPO Logistics.