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Dachser begins 2021 with new leadership

The generational handover has taken place: Burkhard Eling takes over as CEO of the multinational logistics and transport company Dachser.

As of January 1, Burkhard Eling is the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and spokesperson for the Board of Directors of the logistics provider Dachser. Eling thus leads the Corporate Strategy, Human Resources, Marketing executive unit, which also includes Corporate Key Account Management and the Corporate Governance & Compliance division. Eling succeeds Bernhard Simon, who, from mid-2021, will assume the presidency of the Supervisory Board of the family business.

Along with Simon, up to now Chief Operations Officer (COO) Road Logistics, Michael Schilling, is also on the Supervisory Board. For this reason, on January 1, 2021, Dachser made additional changes to the Board of Directors: Two managers with long professional experience at Dachser - Stefan Hohm as Chief Development Officer (CDO) and Alexander Tonn as COO Road Logistics - join the operational management of the multinational logistics and transport company. They thus join Robert Erni, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Edoardo Podestà, COO Air & Sea Logistics.

Career as a CFO focused on innovation in an international environment

Burkhard Eling, 49, joined Dachser in 2012 as a Deputy Director of the Finance, Legal and Tax executive unit. The following year he joined the Board of Directors as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Eling also runs the Dachser Idea2net strategic program for idea management and innovation, which spans the entire company. During his tenure as CFO, Eling also stood out for his role in the global introduction of the SAP system at Dachser, in addition to having planned integration activities following the 2012 acquisition of Iberian logistics provider Azkar (now DACHSER Iberia) .

An industrial engineer by training, Eling began his professional career at the construction company Hochtief AG, later moving to Philipp Holzmann AG, also in the construction sector and in which he was responsible for the international operation. Before joining Dachser, Burkhard Eling was a member of the German group Bilfinger SE, which operates in the field of engineering and industrial services. During his career in this multinational, Eling initially focused on the integration of the activity of the different subsidiaries of the group, then going through various divisions of the company, in different regions of the world.

"Unique and people-oriented culture"

“My colleagues on the Board of Directors and I myself inherited a fully robust and growing company that not even the challenges of the coronavirus crisis could deviate from its course. The people at Dachser were able, with great know-how and commitment, to keep our customers' supply chains running around the world, even under adverse conditions, ”says Burkhard Eling, CEO of Dachser. “With the trust and support of the founding family, as a management team, we will maintain the unique and people-oriented culture of the Dachser family business and, at the same time, we will continue to evolve the company with common sense and agility to become the the world's most integrated logistics provider, ”continues Eling.

Plenty of experience in the new management team

As of January 1, 2021, the Executive Board of Dachser includes a new addition: Alexander Tonn, who takes over as COO Road Logistics, is responsible for the company's European road transport network for industrial goods and food. In addition, he will also continue to lead the European Logistics Germany Business Unit. Tonn, 47, has been with the company for more than 20 years and has held various management positions, including at the Dachser logistics center in Memmingen, as well as at the company headquarters, where for several years he was responsible for the business. Global Logistics (Contract Logistics) from Dachser.

The new IT & Development executive unit will be led by Stefan Hohm, 48, as Chief Development Officer (CDO). Hohm has been with Dachser for 27 years and in this time has led, among others, the delegations of Erfurt (Thuringia) and Hof (Upper Franconia). Most recently, Hohm has led Dachser's Research & Development and Corporate Solutions units. Apart from IT development, he now assumes responsibility for Contract Logistics worldwide.

Burkhard Eling's successor as CFO, from January 1, 2021 and after a four-month introduction and transition phase, is the experienced CFO Robert Erni. Before his arrival at Dachser, the 54-year-old Swiss was Group CFO for almost seven years and head of the financial executive unit of logistics provider Panalpina.

The Dachser Air and Ocean Freight Business Unit will remain unchanged. Since October 2019 it has been under the command of Edoardo Podestà, COO Air & Sea Logistics. The 58-year-old Italian, professionally based in Hong Kong, joined Dachser in 2003, assuming the position of Managing Director of the air and ocean freight business in the Asia Pacific region in 2014.