John Perkovich moves from his role as chief operating officer to take over the reins at RPM in North America
RPM Freight System’s founder Barry Spilman is stepping away from his role of CEO at the finished vehicle logistics provider but will continue with a chair on the Board of Directors. John Perkovich has been appointed president of North America, moving from his position as chief operating officer.
“While I am moving on, I am not moving away,” said Spilman. “I will continue to be an active investor in RPM and will cheer even louder for our people and our success. It has been a goal of mine to identify someone to whom I can confidently hand over the keys to RPM and embrace the next chapter. There is no one better qualified than John Perkovich.”
Spilman said Perkovich had been a cornerstone of RPM’s strategic and operational excellence and had a profound understanding of the industry, coupled with a forward-thinking approach to leadership, which made him the ideal successor for RPM’s next phase of growth.
Perkovich joined RPM in 2020 as senior vice-president of customer operations, based in the US, moving to the COO role the next year. He previously had a long tenure with Coyote Logistics, including as managing director and vice-president of carrier sales and operations.
As president of North America, Perkovich is tasked with overseeing RPM’s strategic initiatives and company growth, including growing its annual vehicle moves from 1m to 5m in three years.
“Together, we will continue to redefine the logistics landscape and revolutionise the automotive logistics industry,” said Perkovich. “As we navigate this transition, our vision remains unwavering: to revolutionise the automotive logistics industry through agile, innovative solutions that create a seamless, reliable experience, setting new standards for service and performance.”
In Europe, RPM recently appointed logistics industry veteran Frits Mehrtens as managing director. Mertens is tasked with aligning operations for significant growth in the European vehicle logistics market.
Spilman founded RPM in 2011 and helped build a diversified network of carrier partners supported by a proprietary technology platform to provide a wide range of vehicle makers with finished vehicle distribution services. That includes deliveries to the dealership network and more recently directly to the end customer. The US-based company launched services in Europe in 2019 and in Mexico in 2022. Last year private equity firms Trive Capital and Bluejay Capital Partners invested to become the majority owners of RPM Freight Systems.
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