Logistics firm DACHSER announced earlier this week that it has promoted four senior executives to its executive board as of January 1. Burkhard Eling (main image), formerly Chief Financial Officer, has taken the position of Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Bernhard Simon, the grandson of the family-owned company's founder.

Eling has been with DACHSER since 2012, first as deputy head of the Finance, Legal and Tax executive unit, then as CFO from 2013. Prior to that he held multiple senior positions with engineering and service group Bilfinger SE.

Taking over the role of Chief Financial Officer is Robert Erni, who joined the company from logistics provider Panalpina, where he was previously Group CFO for almost seven years. Before that, he was with Kuehne+Nagel for 14 years, holding a range of senior finance positions.

The company also announced the appointment of Alexander Tonn to COO Road Logistics, a position responsible for the European overland transport networks for industrial goods and food. Tonn has been with DACHSER for over two decades, having held various leadership positions including at the company's head office in Germany.

In addition, Stefan Hohm has been appointed as Chief Development Officer, a role in charge of the newly created IT & Development unit. Hohm has spent 27 years with DACHSER, most recently heading its R&D work and its corporate solutions business.

Eling, the new CEO, said of the multiple appointments including his own: “My fellow board members and I are taking over an extremely robust and fast-growing company that even the challenges of the coronavirus crisis haven’t managed to throw off course. With the trust and support of the founding family, we as an Executive Board team, will preserve the unique, people-oriented culture of DACHSER as a family-owned company.”