Roldan will be now be responsible for both the supply chain and logistics planning, procurement and management of all inbound material and outbound units across the company’s plants in South America.
A spokesman for GM do Brasil said the company took the decision to consolidate both areas under the leadership of Fred Roldan but that it was not part of a wider reorganisation of logistics and supply chain functions at the company.
Roldan told Automotive Logistics News that the scope of work will not be something new to him.
“Before I took over Logistics and Wlamir took over Supply Chain, we already [shared] this function under Edgard Pezzo, currently our vice president for Global Purchasing and Supply Chain in South America,” he said. “So when it was split between myself and Wlamir we were already operating together and integrating our activities and planning, but both reporting to Edgard. Now, with Wlamir leaving the company, it has returned to the structural set-up used before.”
Toyota Motor Europe has announced that Erdogan Sahin will replace Levent Yuksel as head of production parts logistics and the vehicle logistics division.
Sahin was previously senior general manager of the Production Control Division at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey, joining Toyota when it began business in Turkey in 1992. He has a backgrouond in quality assurance but also has experience in production control, planning, accounting and finance, as well as HR and administration.
Yuksel is moving back to Turkey to become finance and administration director at Toyota’s manufacturing division there.
He previously worked at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey during its establishment phase as a production engineer and worked in the production area for 20 years.
During his tenure at TME Yuksel identified a larger role for logistics management on issues ranging from localising parts, mitigating supply risk and making the order-to-delivery cycle faster and more flexible – particularly in European-built vehicles.
As Yuksel told Automotive Logistics magazine back in September last year, “[p]urchasing and strategic planning still have a bigger say on the sourcing aspects, but there is a growing emphasis given to logistics when making decisions on a new supplier, or even on the location of plants, based on the speed of outbound logistics.”
International logistics provider BLG has appointed Michael Blach as board member with responsibility for its Automobile Logistics division, a role he will take up on June 1 this year. At the same time it has announced that Andreas Wellbrock will become board member with responsibility for the Contract Logistics division, also at the beginning of June.
Michael Blach is a port and shipping manager with international experience and was most recently vice president, Key Client Management for the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, a position he has held since April 2008.
Andreas Wellbrock, meanwhile, has worked for various companies of the BLG Group since December 1999. He is currently managing director of BLG Cargo Logistics and BLG Logistics Solutions. Among other things, he is responsible for successfully setting up the new segment comprising logistics for offshore wind energy.
As of June 1, 2013, BLG’s Board of Management will also see the replacement of chairman Detthold Aden with Frank Dreeke. Chief financial officer Hillert Onnen is also stepping down and will be replaced by Jens Bieniek. Both Aden and Onnen will leave the company on May 31.
Board members Manfred Kuhr and Dr Bernd Lieberoth-Leden, whose contracts run until December 31, 2013, will also leave the company by mutual agreement, also effective as of May 31, 2013.
Board members Hartmut Mekelburg, industrial relations director, and Emanuel Schiffer, vice president, Container, remain in their board positions.
“The new Board of Management in its entirety will consequently jointly launch its work on June 1, 2013. I am glad that the change of generation in BLG’s Board of Management is thus completed,” said Dr Stephan-Andreas Kaulvers, chairman of BLG’s Supervisory Board. “We are certain that the company with the four new members and two continuing members of the Board of Management is well equipped for the future.”
Eric Martin-Neuville has been appointed the new chief operating officer (COO) of freight management giant Geodis Wilson, replacing Fernando Gea who is retiring.
Martin-Neuville, who also moves to become a freight board member at the company, joined the Geodis Group in 1985, and has been managing director, Geodis Wilson France, as well as working for the company in Asia-Pacific.
Prior to taking up the post of deputy COO in July 2011, he worked as a consultant for the global NextGen implementation of Geodis Wilson. NextGen is Geodis Wilson’s €20m transport management system.
“Combining the NextGen implementation with a continuous enhancement of our logistics services will enable us to meet our global growth objectives,” said Martin-Neuville. “Taking this position at a time when operational excellence is a key component of Geodis Wilson’s strategic plan is thrilling.”
Stefan Karlen, currently managing director of the Southeast Asia region at supply chain provider Panalpina, has moved to a new role as regional CEO for Asia Pacific following the announcement that Marco Gadola will be leaving the company to pursue a career opportunity outside the logistics industry.
“We regret the departure of Marco Gadola because he is a well experienced manager and contributed a lot to Panalpina’s performance,” said CEO Monika Ribar. “But we understand his decision and wish him great success in the future. At the same time we are happy to have Stefan Karlen as our new regional CEO Asia Pacific. Stefan has a profound understanding of our business and our culture.”
Stefan Karlen joined Panalpina in 1997 and has held several management positions in Europe and Asia. In his last role he was responsible for company activity in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Peter K. Welch is the new president of the National Automobile Dealers Association replacing Philip Brady who left the organisation to become senior vice president of Government Affairs for Phillips 66 last year.
Welch has been president and CEO of the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) in Sacramento since 2003, and has managed its government affairs office, including legal, legislative and regulatory affairs, since 1990.
“NADA is a well-run organisation. I look forward to following in the tradition of strong leadership at NADA. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get started,” Welch said.
The unanimous decision was made at a special meeting of the NADA Board of Directors in Dallas this week following an extensive nationwide search. Welch will become the NADA president officially on February 1.
