Logistics veteran brings two decades of industry experience and regional leadership expertise to strengthen the forwarder's global air network.
DHL Global Forwarding has appointed Henk Venema as the new executive vice president of global airfreight with immediate effect.
Venema takes over the role from Max Sauberschwarz, who the company said had decided to resign and look for opportunities outside the company.
According to Venema's LinkedIn profile, he has more than 20 years of experience in logistics.
He has also worked for Exel Logistics, UTi Worldwide and Geodis. Venema joined DHL Global Forwarding in 2016 and was most recently chief executive for western Europe and managing director for the Netherlands.
In a LinkedIn post, DHL Global Forwarding chief executive Oscar de Bok said: "Henk brings a depth of operational experience that matters in airfreight. He understands the product from every angle; carriers, capacity, service quality, pricing and the day-to-day realities of running a resilient network.
"I’ve had the chance to work directly with Henk over the past years through a joint account sponsorship, and more importantly, I’ve seen firsthand how effectively he has led our Benelux business.
"Airfreight is a demanding environment, and our ambition is to strengthen our position by delivering consistently, acting with speed and creating real value for our customers."
Venema said the move had come "all of a sudden". He added: "Together with the team in global, the regional teams and most importantly the country teams, we will continue a strong DHL Global Forwarding global air product and target further growth and innovative products combined with strong airline and internal partnerships."
Air Cargo News has asked for more information on why the role became available.
