New global leadership structure for Hellmann
11 / 11 / 2024
Hellmann's Management Board effective January 2025. From left to right: Martin Eberle, Jens Drewes, Stefan Borggreve and Madhav Kurup. Photo: Hellmann
Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has made changes to its management structure as chief operating officer Jens Wollesen has resigned from the company.
Wollesen, who oversees all product areas and is part of the management board, has decided to leave the company at the end of the year to initially focus on his personal life.
In alignment with the company’s strategic direction to enhance its focus on customers and markets, two COOs – each responsible for three product areas – will be appointed to the management board, alongside Jens Drewes, chief executive and Martin Eberle, chief financial officer.
Stefan Borggreve, currently chief digital officer and member of the management board, will be appointed chief operating officer Road, Rail, and CEP, focusing on the expansion and transformation of these product segments.
In this new position, he will also continue to drive the important strategic topics of IT & digital, innovation and sustainability in the top leadership team.
Madhav Kurup – currently regional chief executive of IMEA based in Dubai – will be appointed to the management board as chief operating officer airfreight, seafreight, and contract logistics.
In this role – alongside the respective product chief operating officers at the International Executive Board (IEB) level – he will be responsible for the global strategic development of these products and further expand present and future product and vertical joint ventures.
Kurup has vast product and strategic expertise, with a strong track record in driving growth projects. At the same time, the company said his appointment enriches Hellmann’s cultural and regional diversity in the management board, reflecting the company´s commitment to global expansion. Kurup will continue to lead the IMEA region on an interim basis.
“We want to take this opportunity to thank Jens Wollesen for his exceptional dedication and contributions over the past years, which have played a key role in bringing Hellmann to where it stands today,” said Thomas Lieb, chairman of the supervisory board.
Additionally, there will be changes on the IEB, Hellmann´s second global management level. Jonathan Adeoye, currently chief operating officer Road Germany and West Europe, will assume the role of chief operating officer Road with global responsibility at the IEB level, focusing on expanding Hellmann´s product reach in the European market.
The new setup of the global leadership team will take effect in January to help positions Hellmann for its next phase of expansion.
The company said that over the past few years it has built a strong foundation for sustainable growth by implementing a new organisational structure, launching significant investments in IT and digital infrastructure, and fostering a renewed corporate culture.
Under the leadership of Drewes, who assumed the chief executive role in June this year, the focus is now on building on the above to increase market share across all product areas.
“The strong performance in recent years shows that Hellmann is built on a solid foundation,” said Lieb. “Now it’s time to fully unlock this potential and further expand the company’s global footprint across all product areas – not only in its home market of Europe but globally. The new appointments set the stage for the subsequent growth phase, and I look forward to working with the management team to take Hellmann to the next level.”
