APL REVAMPS ITS SENIOR LINER MANAGEMENT, REGIONS

APL REVAMPS ITS SENIOR LINER MANAGEMENT, REGIONS    APL, the liner shipping arm of Neptune Orient Lines, announced on Friday a revamp of its senior management and regional organizations.
   Ed Aldridge, currently president of the Americas region at APL, has been appointed chief operating officer of APL.
   Ron Widdows, responsible for APL’s global operations and networks, has been promoted to executive vice president.
   Dan McHugh, formerly president of the Asia/Middle East region, also has been promoted to executive vice president, responsible for global marketing, sales and customer support.
   All three executives will be based in Singapore and report to Flemming Jacobs, president and chief executive officer of Neptune Orient Lines and chief executive officer of APL. Jacobs said that, whilst he was retaining his role as CEO of APL, Aldridge, Widdows and McHugh “will work together to manage the day-to-day operations of the liner business.”
   APL Americas has been divided into two regions: North America, to be headed by Bill Hamlin, based in Oakland, and Latin America, managed by Manny Fernandez, based in Miami.
   Bob Sappio, previously responsible for global sales and marketing in Singapore, will return to the U.S. to become senior vice president, sales and marketing, North America, based in Oakland.
   APL Europe will continue to be based in London and will be headed by Dave Appleton. Dan Ryan will head APL Middle East and East Africa, based in Dubai.
   APL’s Asia region (other than China) will be managed from Singapore by Ken Soerensen, previously president of APL Europe.
   To support growing activities, APL has set up a Greater China region including Hong Kong and Taiwan.    This will be based in Shanghai and headed by Brian Lutt.
   “We have placed experienced and accomplished individuals as presidents of these respective regions and our delineating Greater China as a separate region, based in Shanghai, is a first,” said Jacobs.
   Jacobs said the regional organization had also been strengthened, underlining “swift, on-the-ground responses to customers.”