Samskip’s new CEO was competitor

   European multimodal service provider Samskip has hired Kari-Pekka Laaksonen as group chief executive officer.
   An announcement from the company said the appointment reflects “its strategy to align logistics services more closely with the business objectives of its client base.” 
   Laaksonen, who begins his new job at Samskip’s Rotterdam headquarters on Aug. 1, is the former CEO of Samskip competitor Containerships and had led the Finnish company’s aggressive growth since 2012.
   Samskip said Laaksonen “also brings significant experience from the shipper perspective, having occupied progressively senior logistics roles in the chemicals, forest products and automotive sectors.”
   Laaksonen said, “Competition is fierce, but Samskip achieves the unique balance of delivering scale economies through its short sea, rail, barge and trucking network while maintaining the privately owned culture that responds to opportunities quickly and decisively.” 
   With the appointment of Laaksonen, all Samskip companies, including Norlines and Samskip Logistics, will merge into one group. He will lead the management board of six executives, including Ásbjörn Gislason, who will become group deputy CEO.
   Laaksonen said he was proud to join an organization committed to sustainable transport and relieving Europe’s congested road network of polluting truck miles.
   “When I talk to global companies, I believe that Samskip is the frontrunner in finding sustainable solutions that reduce their carbon footprints. Multimodal services provide the real and practical answer. The digital transformation Samskip is undertaking is also impressive and places the company in a very competitive and advanced position in our industry.”