PANALPINA REORGANIZES OPERATIONS, EXPANDS EXECUTIVE BOARD

PANALPINA REORGANIZES OPERATIONS, EXPANDS EXECUTIVE BOARD    Panalpina Group said Thursday it is creating four regional centers for Europe, Asia, North and South America, and Africa/Mideast/Commonwealth of Independent States, effective Jan. 1, in a move to gain a stronger regional focus.
   The national Panalpina organization would report directly to one of four regional chief executives, which would also be members of the executive board.
   Other units, including the staff of the air-freight and sea-freight divisions responsible for capacity and hub management, and the central planning and information technology functions, will continue to be based at group head office in Basel. The managing directors of SwissGlobalCargo, which will change its name to ASB Air as of January, and ASB Sea will continue to report directly to the chief executive officer.
   The logistics and forwarding giant also plans to enlarge its executive board to seven members from five.
   These three have been appointed to the executive board: Gustav Zschiesche, regional chief executive Europe; Christian Ryser, regional chief executive Americas; and Lars-Ola Gunnarsson, regional chief executive Asia. Jorg Eggenberger, chief operating officer Eastern Hemisphere, has been appointed as regional chief executive Africa/Mideast/CIS.
   Zschiesche has managed Panalpina China since 1988. He will be succeeded there by Stephen Yeung, who will also retain his position as managing director of Panalpina Taiwan.
   Ryser has been managing director of Panalpina's North American organization since 1999.
   Gunnarsson has been with Panalpina for nine years, most recently heading the group's Scandinavian organization.
   Also as of Jan. 1, Christoph Buetikofer will take over as chief financial officer from Werner Regli, who will retire after holding the post for 11 years. Regli will remain with the group and will be commissioned with special tasks by the board. Buetikofer joined Panalpina in March.
   Robert Frei, COO Western Hemisphere, will leave the executive board at the end of the year so he can coordinate group projects at the head office and represent the executive board towards the group's key partners.