J.B. Hunt Transport Services announced Wednesday the appointment of Shelley Simpson to president effective Aug. 1. Simpson currently serves as the company’s chief commercial officer and executive vice president of people and human resources.
John Roberts, the current president and chief executive officer, will remain CEO and a member of the board.
Simpson has been with J.B. Hunt (NASDAQ: JBHT) for 28 years, 15 of which have been spent in an executive capacity. She was named president of the company’s brokerage unit, a division she helped create, in 2007. In 2011, she was named chief marketing officer and became head of the company’s truckload unit three years later.
Simpson was named chief commercial officer and head of highway services in 2017, a role that included overseeing the launch of digital freight platform J.B. Hunt 360. The additional duties of running human resources were added in 2020.
“Over her tenure at J.B. Hunt, Shelley has worn multiple hats across our business, bringing a data-driven, experienced-based approach to every area she has led,” Roberts said. “If you look at the most disruptive areas of our company, from new technologies to global commercialization to investments in our people, Shelley’s innovative leadership has always guided us toward positive results.”
Simpson will oversee all management duties and performance of all J.B. Hunt business divisions, technology, services and human resources.
“I am grateful for John’s continued leadership and growth mindset,” stated Simpson. “As our yearlong 60th anniversary comes to a close, I can’t help but reflect on our company’s storied history of innovation. From leading the way as the industry’s first asset-based intermodal service provider to leveraging the benefits of technology for shippers and carriers through J.B. Hunt 360, our people have and will continue to fuel our growth through a cycle of innovation that is intrinsic to our organization.”
Brad Hicks will become EVP of people in addition to his role as head of highway services.
Spencer Frazier will become EVP of sales and marketing. He has been with J.B. Hunt for 21 years, most recently serving as SVP of sales for the last 11 years.
Under current leadership, J.B. Hunt has nearly doubled revenue since 2017.
“We have an exceptional executive leadership team in place with an average tenure of more than 25 years at the company,” Simpson continued. “As I take on this new role, I remain committed to empowering our people to continue to disrupt, adapt and accelerate and remain fiercely focused on driving value for our customers, with financial discipline and dedication to our mission to create the most efficient transportation network in North America.”
