Sudden departure from Panalpina for Beatson

Sudden departure from Panalpina for Beatson    David Beatson, regional chief executive officer of Panalpina in North America tasked with increasing its revenue, has suddenly left the Swiss-owned forwarding and logistics group.
   A high profile industry executive, Beatson joined Panalpina in July 2003, following a career that included positions as CEO of Circle International and later of SupplyLinks, a California-based e-commerce company.
   Beatson canceled a speaking engagement Tuesday, triggering rumors that he had been fired.
   Panalpina confirmed today that Beatson has left the company, saying he “resigned following disagreements over the strategic direction of the company.”
   Panalpina has named Hans-Peter Merath to take over Beatson’s former role as regional CEO for North America, with immediate effect. Merath was head of operations of the North America region within Panalpina. Panalpina said it will continue its growth strategy in North America while also increasing productivity.