Asok Kumar, his mission: to wake 'sleeping giant' Morrison Express, and make it run

When Asok Kumar stepped into the role of CEO at Morrison Express, he was leaving behind more than two decades at one of the world’s largest logistics groups. His departure from DB Schenker marked the end of 20 years inside a vast, highly structured global organisation, but, he says, it also marked the beginning of something energising and full of possibility. 

Mr Kumar is unfailingly gracious about his former employer. Schenker, he says, was a “very good company” that gave him opportunities, learning and growth. But the appeal of Morrison Express, a company far smaller, more agile, and backed by a parent with strong international ambitions, was compelling. The contrast between the two environments was clear. At Schenker, legacy systems and established frameworks defined the scale of operations; at Morrison, he saw the chance to help build, shape, and grow something with speed. 

“Morrison is not that small,” he points out, noting its ranking as the 17th-largest air cargo forwarder globally. “But because we come from a smaller base, the scale of opportunity is very exciting.” 

That sense of potential is amplified by Morrison’s ownership under SG Holdings, the Japanese logistics group known for Sagawa Express. SG Holdings, Mr Kumar explains, is “looking outward with a major international growth agenda”. Its acquisition of Morrison and, earlier, of Expo Freight Logistics (EFL) formed a strategic platform for global expansion. 

Crucially, Morrison and EFL complement each other almost perfectly, he claims. EFL is deep in retail and consumer markets, with extensive operations across India, Africa, and South-east Asia. Morrison, meanwhile, is strong in the semiconductor and hi-tech sectors, with major presences in Taiwan, China, South Korea, and Japan. The overlap is minimal; the synergies, he says, enormous. 

“Where we can share offices, we do,” Mr Kumar says. “Pooling volumes, joint procurement, and leveraging each other’s strengths works very well. Combining brands is not necessary when both are already strong in their markets.” 

The partnership extends beyond procurement: Morrison’s airfreight-heavy business dovetails neatly with EFL’s ocean strength, which is two to three times larger. Together, they increase bargaining power with carriers, expand network reach and offer customers more competitive solutions. 

One example is Morrison’s two weekly charters from Hanoi to Chicago. Secured through Morrison’s air freight relationships, the flights are heavily used by EFL’s retail fashion customers. A perfect synergy, Mr Kumar says; Morrison provides the lift, EFL provides dependable demand.

The company has, of course, felt the impact of geopolitical fluctuations driving volume spikes. Mr Kumar notes that, ahead of the 1 November US tariff round on Chinese goods, Morrison saw a noticeable surge in air freight. 

Whether the increased volumes came from front-loading or organic demand is difficult to determine, he says, but the effect was clearly visible.

The semiconductor and hi-tech segments remain Morrison’s powerhouse and its strongest opportunity. With AI demand expanding rapidly, chipmakers are scaling up production globally. For Morrison, headquartered in Taiwan and deeply embedded in the semiconductor supply chain, the timing has been fortuitous. 

“Sometimes in business you need to be lucky,” Mr Kumar admits. Taiwan’s central role in the semiconductor ecosystem keeps Morrison close to one of the world’s most important trade flows. Even with discussions about potential AI-driven bubbles, the sector remains on a growth trajectory. 

There is talk in the market about shifting some semiconductor movements from air to ocean, especially in today’s softening ocean-freight environment. But Mr Kumar says this is not yet happening at scale. Ocean is becoming more attractive due to lower rates and available capacity – although disruptions such as the Red Sea crisis may complicate that picture – but the semiconductor sector’s need for speed and reliability remains dominant. 

Geographically, Morrison’s strongest flows are intra-Asia, supported by manufacturing migration and ‘China+1’ strategies that have accelerated diversification into Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Many suppliers remain in China, meaning significant volumes continue to move within the region before goods are exported to the US or Europe. 

ASEAN is also emerging as a consumer market in its own right. As incomes grow, demand for imported and regionally produced goods is rising sharply. 

Beyond Asia, Morrison sees opportunity in the Middle East and Africa, but rather than building its own extensive footprint, Mr Kumar plans to expand through EFL’s existing strength in those markets. The same is true for Latin America, where Morrison has no direct presence, but EFL does. 

India, too, is increasingly important, and EFL’s long-established footprint there gives Morrison an immediate pathway to scale without heavy upfront investment. 

Mr Kumar’s overarching focus is on building Morrison Express for long-term, sustainable growth.

“Morrison is a sleeping giant,” he says. It’s a company that has already exceeded $1bn in revenue with comparatively lean resources, but still has enormous untapped potential. 

He aims to strengthen infrastructure, expand facilities, and ensure the organisation has the capabilities needed to support larger volumes and greater geographic reach. Investments are already under way, including a major new Los Angeles facility scheduled for Q1 26, and expanded warehousing in Malaysia. 

Inorganic growth is not currently part of the plan. Instead, Mr Kumar is crafting a strategy centred on organic expansion, strengthened operations and more efficient, scalable structures. 

“If you don’t have the right people and infrastructure to support that growth, then it doesn’t work anyway,” he says. “But if we get it right – the people, the infrastructure, the systems – the opportunities are tremendous.” 

Mr Kumar sees Morrison Express at a pivotal moment: strong in its core, supported by a powerful parent, and perfectly positioned within some of the world’s fastest-growing supply chains. With complementary partners, increasing regional diversification and booming semiconductor demand, Morrison’s ambitions may soon match its potential. 

For Mr Kumar, the mission is clear: to wake the sleeping giant and make it run.