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Career Tracks: Dachser, Port of Long Beach and Blue Ridge

A C-suite and board are shuffled, and a commercial operations director and Europe manager are hired

Kenneth Duncan has been hired to lead commercial operations at the Port of Long Beach. (Photos: Board of Harbor Commissioners and LBCT)

Bernard Simon will step down as chief executive officer of Dachser on Jan. 1 and will join the logistics provider’s supervisory board as chairman. Burkhard Eling, who joined the Dachser executive board as chief financial officer in 2013, will become the new CEO of the family-owned German company.

Michael Schilling, the chief operating officer of Road Logistics, also will join the supervisory board in 2021.

“At the end of 2020, Michael Schilling and I will pass on our responsibility on the executive board to the next generation of management,” Simon said. “This joint move, which has been in the planning for a long time, will create new impetus for the company’s future.”

He continued, “The coronavirus crisis is certainly a great challenge for the entire management team, but it does not call our long-term strategy into question. What’s important now is to pass the company on to a new generation, starting at the top. We are convinced that we can steer Dachser well through the coming months. By keeping our own network stable and the supply chains running, we will continue to serve our customers with reliability and quality.”

Also on Jan. 1, Alexander Tonn will join Dachser’s executive board as COO of Road Logistics. Tonn, who has been with the company for more than 20 years, has been responsible for the international development of contract logistics as well as the German logistics business.

Stefan Hohm will assume responsibility as chief development officer for the new IT and development executive unit. Hohm, who has been with the company for 27 years, most recently has been responsible for research and development work as well as the solutions business.

The management team will be rounded out by Edoardo Podestà, who has been a member of the Dachser executive board since October 2019 as COO of Air & Sea Logistics.

Dachser’s executive board as of Jan. 1 will consist of members, left to right, Alexander Tonn, Michael Schilling, Burkhard Eling, Bernhard Simon, Edoardo Podestà and Stefan Hohm. (Photo: Dachser)

Port of Long Beach

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has hired Kenneth W. Duncan as managing director of commercial operations at California’s Port of Long Beach.

Duncan will lead a bureau consisting of the port’s business development, tenant services and operations, and security services divisions. He was selected after a competitive process to replace Noel Hacegaba, who was promoted to deputy executive director of administration and operations.


Most recently Duncan was vice president of lifestyle and apparel sales for North America for A.P. Moller-Maersk. He previously spent more than 13 years in various positions with Maersk Line, the world’s largest ocean carrier.

“Ken has vast experience and insight into the complex global supply chain,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “He’s worked everywhere from the executive suite to global and regional sales right down to the terminals where equipment is dispatched to move goods to stores. His skills will be valuable to us as we continue to improve our infrastructure and strengthen what is already the best customer service in the Americas.”

Duncan will begin his new job at the Port of Long Beach on April 27.

Blue Ridge

Supply chain planning and price optimization tool provider Blue Ridge has named Maarten Baltussen general manager of Europe.

Baltussen will lead Blue Ridge’s efforts to help retailers, wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers across Europe solve challenges around shifting customer preferences and volatility with suppliers.

“Maarten will expand our strong presence in the Nordic region into the rest of the European continent, where we continue to see increasing demand for supply chain planning solutions,” said Blue Ridge Chief Executive Officer Jim Byrnes. “Maarten will be responsible for driving all activities in the region, including initiatives with our partner Inventory Investments AS, using both direct and indirect channels.”

Before joining Atlanta-headquartered Blue Ridge, Baltussen was the chief revenue officer at supply chain optimization provider ICRON. His 24 years of professional experience includes supply chain planning at Blue Yonder, SAP and Infor. He also founded Intellogic, and the company grew under his leadership, focusing on business intelligence dashboards for the logistics vertical.


Kim Link Wills

Senior Editor Kim Link-Wills has written about everything from agriculture as a reporter for Illinois Agri-News to zoology as editor of the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. Her work has garnered awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Magazine Association of the Southeast. Prior to serving as managing editor of American Shipper, Kim spent more than four years with XPO Logistics.