Trent Broberg will succeed William Billiter as chief executive officer of automotive logistics provider ACERTUS.
Broberg’s long history within the logistics space includes his most recent position as chief operating officer for transportation technology and freight matching company Truckstop.com.
As for Billiter, who co-founded the company and has served as CEO since 2010, he will continue as a board member and will also help Broberg transition into his role.
“It has been both an honor and a privilege to have led ACERTUS for more than a decade,” Billiter said in a news release.
Billiter also said, “This transition starts an exciting new chapter for our organization and for me personally. I will be able to pursue several of my personal passions while also remaining at the heart of our strategic thinking serving on the board to provide Trent and the company unwavering support.”
Prior to his position at Truckstop.com, Broberg served in various senior executive roles at logistics providers DB Schenker and Swift Transportation Inc.
“Broberg’s deep experience within the industry and leadership acumen will provide the launchpad for a new era of growth,” ACERTUS said in the release.
Broberg said he was honored and humbled to serve in the new role as CEO.
“Under Bill’s leadership, the company has experienced tremendous success by providing comprehensive automotive logistics services and maintaining a steady focus on developing innovative, proprietary technology solutions,” Broberg said.
Broberg also said, “By eliminating the need to go to multiple vendors for multiple services, ACERTUS has filled a significant gap for players in the automotive industry. Beyond the impressive hyper-growth, Bill has curated a best-in-class culture and a team of more than 800 exceptionally talented individuals that I look forward to learning from, and working alongside, in the new role. As a team, I am confident we will continue to foster the upward trajectory of ACERTUS by further expanding our products and talent.”
Billiter said that in the search for a new CEO, the company sought someone with a passion for the industry.
The company also looked for top leadership skills and the ability to find new growth potential.
“I’m confident that Trent is the right person to take ACERTUS into its next phase of expansion and look forward to celebrating the team’s success,” Billiter said.
Finished vehicle transport logistics company United Road promoted Ryan Kraft to chief digital officer.
In this position, his responsibilities will include integrating United Road’s technology footprint across the supply chain to provide strong experience for customers, carriers and vendors.
Kraft has been with United Road for nearly 12 years in various roles such as financial analyst and most recently, vice president of operations technology.
“United Road is technology-forward,” said United Road president and chief executive officer Mark Anderson said in a news release.
Anderson continued, “We are using technology including artificial intelligence, across the United Road supply chain to support the needs of the end-user — our customers, carrier partners, vendors — giving them digital tools and information in real time. Ryan’s background in finance and IT and his deep understanding of our supply chain make him a natural fit for the journey ahead. Our end-goal is to make it easy and efficient to work with United Road.”
The use of digital tools is an important part of the equation, Anderson said, noting United Road’s commitment to moving vehicles easily and safely and building relationships with its customers, carriers and vendors.
Kraft recently led development of Haully, United Road’s logistics technology platform that provides third-party carriers mobile access to vehicle loads, including backhauls, 24 hours a day, seven days per week.
“A customer portal that gives real-time delivery status helps our customers meet their customer commitments,” Anderson said.
He continued, “Using Haully, a third-party carrier can claim a load and find a back-haul via mobile phone. Telematics in our trucks are helping United Road avoid time-stopping breakdowns. These are examples of how United Road is deploying technology to support the supply chain.”
Kraft began his career at Ford Motor Co. in Michigan as a financial analyst. He also previously served as chief information officer at Wilbanks Energy Services in New Mexico.
As the new chief digital officer for automotive logistics and services company ACERTUS, Blair Koch will lead digital transformation for the company.
In the newly created position, Koch will support ACERTUS’s ongoing mission to lead the way in automotive logistics innovation.
The company said the appointment comes at a time when it is experiencing expansion at a record pace.
ACERTUS describes Koch, with 30 years of experience, as an internationally recognized expert and industry veteran in airline, travel, transportation and railroad.
Koch will lead the technology and product teams to help ensure ACERTUS’ digital platform scales to the demand of its customers. Koch will also work on new business opportunities to boost ACERTUS’ growth.
Koch previously held leadership posts at Datalax, Jetblue Airways, United Airlines and the Feld Institute, where he worked with corporations such as Southwest Airlines and FedEx to deliver technology innovation. ACERTUS said Koch has led teams and built technology to increase speed to market and profitability.
ACERTUS co-founder and chief executive officer William Billiter said ACERTUS since its founding has focused on developing proprietary technology to serve auto industry stakeholders’ needs.
“With Koch at the helm, we are well-positioned to enter our next phase of growth and innovation,” Billiter said in a news release. “Koch’s extensive experience, focused leadership and proven ability made it evident that he would be a natural fit with our organization.”
Regarding ACERTUS’s expansion, Inc. Magazine recently recognized it as one of the fastest-growing U.S. companies.
As the new vice president of Manheim Logistics, Joe Kichler will oversee business strategy and operations for the company’s leading logistics brands. Those brands are Ready Logistics and Central Dispatch.
Ready Logistics is a full-service transportation service, and Central Dispatch is a self-managed transportation service. Manheim says that together, those brands offer transportation services that help clients move vehicles more efficiently.
Strengthening strategic relationships with carriers, improving on-time delivery for shippers and positioning the operation for future growth will be key focus areas for Kichler, who most recently served as vice president of group strategy for Manheim.
In that post, he was responsible for strategic planning for Manheim and the Retail Solutions groups. Those groups include Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book and Dealertrack.
In his new role, he will also lead Manheim Logistics’ transformation, which seeks to address the shortage of transport drivers, boost safety and efficiencies for clients and prepare the organization for what the company describes as “a fast-growing digital future.”
In his new role, Kichler reports to Manheim president Grace Huang.
Kichler joined Manheim in 2012 as vice president of operational excellence. In that position, he oversaw the design of new auction processes and client experiences and also led enterprise portfolio management and operational analytics functions.
He also previously held business strategy and management consulting positions with Deloitte and Boston Consulting Group.
“As we accelerate our digital strategy, Joe and his team will play an integral role in leading the transformation of our logistics business and technology,” Huang said in a news release.
Huang continued, “His engaging leadership style, commitment to operational excellence and passion for delivering world-class service will contribute to a better logistics experience for our clients, auction partners and team members.”
