September 24 - 2012 - BAAR, Switzerland - Agility, a leading global logistics provider, has named 28-year company veteran Chris Price as Chief Executive Officer of its fast-growing Asia Pacific operations. The company has also named 11-year company veteran Mike Bible as Chief Executive Officer of its Europe operations, following the decision by Beat Simon to depart the company.
"These changes allow us to move Chris and Mike, two of our most dynamic leaders, into important new roles,” said Essa Al-Saleh, President and CEO of Agility Global Integrated Logistics. “They bring fresh energy, deep knowledge of our company and industry, and strong cross-regional relationships to their new positions.”
Chris Price to Build on Agility’s Momentum in Asia Pacific
As CEO of Asia Pacific, Price will oversee 160+ offices in 23 countries and more than 7,000 employees. Before his appointment, Price was CEO of Agility for Area North Europe, a role he had held since 2007. Previous Agility roles included CEO Netherlands for four years, CEO UK and Ireland for five years, and various sales management and operational roles. He assumes his new role in Singapore on January 1, 2013.
“Agility has invested heavily in Asia in the last decade,” said Al-Saleh. “The company is a top five logistics provider across the region, with a strong base in China that serves the domestic and international markets, extensive operations in India, and market-leading presence in Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. In addition, we have a strong presence in Australasia, particularly in the resource logistics sector. Chris is one of our most consistent performers. He champions our values, and is the right person to lead the region at this stage of development.”
“This is a tremendously exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of changing patterns in world trade,” said Price. “As consumer demand continues to grow in emerging markets, companies in the Asia Pacific region will be looking to further expand and companies in developed countries will be looking to increasingly tap these new markets. As CEO of Asia Pacific, I look forward to helping customers access these new worlds of opportunity, and further build on Agility’s momentum in the region.”
Mike Bible to Lead European Organization
As CEO of Europe, Mike Bible will succeed Beat Simon, who is departing the company but will continue to serve on the board of Agility Switzerland. Under his stewardship, Agility successfully grew its operations across Europe, through a combination of acquisitions and organic growth. Commenting on the change, Al-Saleh said, “Beat Simon was instrumental in establishing Agility as a strong logistics provider across Europe, expanding our footprint from 11 to 29 countries and launching a number of strategic initiatives. We are sorry to be losing Beat but thank him for his hard work and dedication and wish him the best for his future endeavors,” said Al-Saleh.
In Europe, Bible will oversee 140+ offices in over 29 countries, and more than 3,000 employees. Before his appointment, Bible was CEO of Agility Americas for five years, and before that, CFO of Agility Americas. Bible played an important role in the company’s Latin America expansion into Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Peru. Prior to Agility, Bible held various financially-related positions with a number of companies in different sectors. He assumes his new role in Basel, Switzerland on January 1, 2013.
“Recent challenges in Eurozone economies have impacted business across Europe,” said Al-Saleh. “During these difficult times, Mike brings to the table valuable experience in managing through diverse and challenging market conditions. As CEO of the Americas, Mike built a lean team in the U.S. that consolidated and improved our financial performance and expanded into Latin America. We are looking for Mike to bring a new perspective to our European team in the coming months and years.”
“I am excited to be leading Agility’s Europe team and am confident that we can build on the strong foundations that have been laid,” commented Bible. “With our business operating across 29 countries in the region, we will continue to work with our customers to provide them with the products and solutions they require to grow their businesses and address the challenges they face.”
About Agility:
Agility brings efficiency to supply chains in some of the globe’s most challenging environments, offering unmatched personal service, a global footprint and customized capabilities in developed and developing economies alike. Agility is one of the world’s leading providers of integrated logistics. It is a publicly traded company with $4.8 billion in revenue and more than 22,000 employees in 500 offices across 100 countries. ??Agility’s core commercial business, Global Integrated Logistics (GIL), provides supply chain solutions to meet traditional and complex customer needs. GIL offers air, ocean and road freight forwarding, warehousing, distribution, and specialized services in project logistics, fairs and events, and chemicals. Agility’s Infrastructure group of companies manages industrial real estate and offers logistics-related services, including e-government customs optimization and consulting, waste management and recycling, aviation and ground-handling services, support to governments and ministries of defense, remote infrastructure and life support.
