Kuehne + Nagel’s head of rail & logistics quits

Kuehne + Nagel’s head of rail & logistics quits Kuehne + Nagel said Friday that Ewald Kaiser, member of the Swiss logistics company’s management board and head of its rail and road logistics unit, has resigned from the company.
   According to Kuehne + Nagel, Kaiser intends to take a sabbatical in 2008 before taking on another job.
   The company has moved swiftly to replace him with the appointment of Xavier Urbain, who will start Jan. 15.
   Urbain was chief executive officer of ACR Logistics Group, which was acquired by Kuehne + Nagel in January 2006. He then became Kuehne + Nagel’s regional manager of South West Europe.
   Klaus-Michael Kuehne, executive chairman of Kuehne + Nagel, said Urbain will push the company’s European overland operations expansion strategy with immediate focus on extending its overland network in France, Italy and Spain.
   “Kuehne + Nagel's objectives in the overland sector are challenging but realistic,” Urbain said. “Based on the achievements so far and by continuing to consequently implement our strategy, I am confident that midterm Kuehne + Nagel will belong to the leading service providers in the European overland market.'