Cargo iQ makes changes on its board

Cargo iQ, the IATA interest group whose stated mission is to create and implement quality standards for the global air cargo industry, has made changes to its leadership team.

Henrik Ambak, senior vice president of cargo operations worldwide at Emirates SkyCargo, has been appointed chair of Cargo iQ’s board.

And Kerstin Strauss, vice president and head of global air logistics operations at Kuehne + Nagel, will now occupy Ambak’s former post of vice-chair of the board.

“The knowledge and experience of both Henrik and Kerstin will prove to be incredibly valuable to our organisation,” declared Ariaen Zimmerman, Cargo iQ’s executive director.

“Cargo iQ membership continues to develop as the cargo industry looks to streamline and improve efficiencies and our new chair and vice-chair will be essential in advising us in the coming year,” he added.

Ambak began his career in freight forwarding, before moving to management roles in airport and cargo handling.

He has occupied his current role at Emirates SkyCargo since 2014, having responsibility for service delivery management, including the management of the two SkyCargo terminals at the freight carrier’s hub in Dubai.

Ambak also oversees standards, procedures and compliance efforts to ensure the safety and security of Emirates SkyCargo’s service, as well as systems.

“The strength of Cargo iQ is the use of its Master Operating Plan (MOP) as the practical tool in the daily planning and execution of service delivery across the globe facilitating forwarders, airlines and handlers,” Ambak informed.

“Cargo iQ has, in reality, only just started as the rapid development of specialised cargo services and the fast spread of disruptive technologies screams for operational facilitation frameworks to serve our clients better and quicker.”

Meanwhile, Strauss has built her career at Kuehne + Nagel, rising through the ranks at the supply chain services giant since she started as an apprentice there in 1994.

She has worked across both sea and air freight, and headed up strategic customer development in pharma and healthcare prior to taking up her current role in air logistics in 2017.

“Kuehne + Nagel, as one of the founding members of Cargo iQ, remains highly committed to the principles and strategic objectives of this air cargo interest group, driving industry standards, data quality and transparency,” Strauss stated.

She added that she is looking forward to contributing to “the expanding objectives that the group is developing in order to address the evolving market demands of the air cargo industry”.

Alongside these two senior appointments, the following individuals each representing airlines have been added as new board members: Ajay Barolia, senior manager, cargo network operations – performance and handling at Qatar Airways; and Michael Oslansky, director, cargo operations Americas at United Airlines.

Frosti Lau, general manager cargo service delivery at Cathay Pacific, was reconfirmed as a Cargo iQ board member.

Plus, freight forwarders Agility Logistics, DB Schenker, and DHL Global Forwarding will see continued representation on the board.

In that regard, Matthias Hurst, director, global airfreight initiatives for Agility Logistics, replaces Michael Blaufuss.

Lothar Moehle, director, security standardisation at DB Schenker, was re-elected and Thomas Huber, vice president, head of airfreight strategic development at DHL Global Forwarding, becomes a board member.

Huber replaces Henk Venema, vice president, head of airfreight in the Netherlands for DHL Global Forwarding, who has led the board as chair since March 2018.

The following executives from airlines will continue to serve as members of the board: Rutger Jan Pegels, director of performance management at KLM Cargo; and Jens Appel, senior director project logistics concept Europe at Lufthansa Cargo.

Continuing in their roles to give other freight forwarders a presence on the board will be Markus Muecke, global head air freight procurement and product management at Panalpina, and Uwe Glaser, managing director of Cargomind.

Finally, Hendrik Leyssens, vice president global operations – cargo at Swissport, also continues in his role as the sole ground handling agent member on the board.

The new appointments were confirmed during Cargo iQ’s annual general meeting at the World Cargo Symposium (WCS) held in Singapore in March, and in a subsequent mail vote held amongst the group’s members last month (April).