The Management Board of Schenker AG is being reorganised as of 1st January 2017 to streamline processes and to be closer to the customers. The Supervisory Board of Schenker AG has approved the restructuring.

Jochen Thewes, CEO, Schenker AG, said: "By reducing the number of members on the Management Board from seven to six and reorganising the board divisions, we intend to satisfy market requirements for fast and consistent solutions for our customers and to serve as a role model for creating more efficient structures."

The most important changes will include consolidating the Air and Ocean Freight and Land Transport Board Divisions to create a new division named Freight (COO), which will be headed by Ewald Kaiser, currently Member of the Management Board for Land Transport. The aim is to tie these three product areas closer together to quickly improve integrated transport products and services and make better use of growth potential.

A new organisational unit named Global Land Transport will also be created within this board division and will standardise and promote the development of land transport outside Europe.

A new division called Commercial DB Schenker (CCO) and Contract Logistics, headed by Tom Schmitt, will be created. For the first time, Key Account Management/Sales and Marketing will be hardwired at the Management Board level, which will foster customer contact, further strengthen sales and expand the market position more quickly.

A personnel change has also been made at Schenker AG's largest business region. On 1 December 2016, Reiner Heiken (54) assumed the role of CEO of Region Europe, replacing Ewald Kaiser in this function. Heiken served most recently as Chairman of the Management Board at Kühne & Nagel in Hamburg.