DESTINATION EUROPE
P&O Ferrymasters promotes two high-fliers
Leading freight management provider P&O Ferrymasters has announced two strategic promotions to help drive its pan-European expansion and its environmentally-friendly Intermodal business.
Europe has become P&O Ferrymasters’ main focus as the business is now positioned as a logistics and freight management services provider with a significant percentage of its turnover in Euros as its customers seek to expand their own cross-border business horizons.
The appointment of two European directors, who have both ‘risen through the ranks’, will further consolidate this position with more emphasis upon growing the overall market and delivering greater consignment penetration via rail.
Herman Braam, the former general manager for P&OFM’s continental freight management division now takes on directorship with overall responsibility for growth of the pan-European business portfolio, while Bart Verbeke, previously the general manager for Ferrymasters intermodal activity, joins the board with overall strategic responsibility for increasing rail movement.
Braam, who has 22-years experience in the transport business and joined P&OFM in 1995 as a general manager in Amsterdam, has been instrumental in enhancing the business model throughout Europe, but with increasing focus on the emerging Eastern territories, through a unique blend of own-assets and freight managed solutions.
“We are committed to developing our services and our people so that we have a totally customer-focus culture; employing people who solve problems and come up with the ideas that have customers at the centre,” he says.
“It is this approach that is shifting the perception of our business away from that of a haulier to that of a logistics solutions provider using a variety of own assets and freight managed services in Europe,” he adds.
Verbeke, who has been involved with the Intermodal offering since he joined Ferrymasters in 1995, has been instrumental in increasing rail movements from the UK and northern Europe over the 1300 kilometre leg to the major Italian market place. This growth in the intermodal offering has triggered further development in the company’s Italian business which has resulted in the location of strategic commercial offices in Rome and Verona. Coinciding with his appointment, Verbeke has more recently been involved in increased activity into Greece with clear targets to penetrate the Turkish market by the middle of 2006, stretching the rail distances to 3000 kilometres.
“Over the last two years our intermodal business has been critical to our growth as customers seek cost effective and environmental solutions to shipping consignments across Europe, a service that will continue to grow in line with customer demand and rail infrastructure and service improvements across the continent and into the East,” says Verbeke.
John Bradshaw, managing director of P&O Ferrymasters, says: “The appointments do not mark a new departure, but an evolution of our business model as both freight management and intermodal activities have developed as the services of choice for our customers. Both Herman and Bart have been ideally positioned within the heart of the business in Europe and have been instrumental in making that evolution happen so their promotions are timely and well-deserved.”
Europe has become P&O Ferrymasters’ main focus as the business is now positioned as a logistics and freight management services provider with a significant percentage of its turnover in Euros as its customers seek to expand their own cross-border business horizons.
The appointment of two European directors, who have both ‘risen through the ranks’, will further consolidate this position with more emphasis upon growing the overall market and delivering greater consignment penetration via rail.
Herman Braam, the former general manager for P&OFM’s continental freight management division now takes on directorship with overall responsibility for growth of the pan-European business portfolio, while Bart Verbeke, previously the general manager for Ferrymasters intermodal activity, joins the board with overall strategic responsibility for increasing rail movement.
Braam, who has 22-years experience in the transport business and joined P&OFM in 1995 as a general manager in Amsterdam, has been instrumental in enhancing the business model throughout Europe, but with increasing focus on the emerging Eastern territories, through a unique blend of own-assets and freight managed solutions.
“We are committed to developing our services and our people so that we have a totally customer-focus culture; employing people who solve problems and come up with the ideas that have customers at the centre,” he says.
“It is this approach that is shifting the perception of our business away from that of a haulier to that of a logistics solutions provider using a variety of own assets and freight managed services in Europe,” he adds.
Verbeke, who has been involved with the Intermodal offering since he joined Ferrymasters in 1995, has been instrumental in increasing rail movements from the UK and northern Europe over the 1300 kilometre leg to the major Italian market place. This growth in the intermodal offering has triggered further development in the company’s Italian business which has resulted in the location of strategic commercial offices in Rome and Verona. Coinciding with his appointment, Verbeke has more recently been involved in increased activity into Greece with clear targets to penetrate the Turkish market by the middle of 2006, stretching the rail distances to 3000 kilometres.
“Over the last two years our intermodal business has been critical to our growth as customers seek cost effective and environmental solutions to shipping consignments across Europe, a service that will continue to grow in line with customer demand and rail infrastructure and service improvements across the continent and into the East,” says Verbeke.
John Bradshaw, managing director of P&O Ferrymasters, says: “The appointments do not mark a new departure, but an evolution of our business model as both freight management and intermodal activities have developed as the services of choice for our customers. Both Herman and Bart have been ideally positioned within the heart of the business in Europe and have been instrumental in making that evolution happen so their promotions are timely and well-deserved.”