Freightos taps Pablo Pinillos as CEO as founder Zvi Schreiber eyes AI-driven start-up

Freightos has appointed chief financial officer Pablo Pinillos (above) as chief executive, succeeding founder Zvi Schreiber as the company enters its next phase of growth.

The Nasdaq-listed digital freight platform said Mr Pinillos will assume the role on 16 March and will also join the board, after serving as interim CEO since January. He joined the company as CFO in March 2025.

Chairman Udo Lange said the board had “unanimous confidence” in Mr Pinillos’ leadership.

“Throughout his tenure as CFO and interim CEO, Pablo has demonstrated a deep understanding of our business, as well as the strategic and operational discipline necessary to scale Freightos in a complex global market,” he said.

Mr Pinillos said his immediate priorities would include expanding Freightos’ solutions business, strengthening its position in ocean freight and procurement management, and driving transaction growth across the platform.

“Our focus remains on disciplined execution and delivering on our shorter-term commitments, including reaching financial break-even in Q4 of this year,” he said.

Freightos said it has begun a search for a new chief financial officer.

Mr Pinillos brings more than 20 years’ experience across finance, strategy and operations. Before joining Freightos he served as CFO at blockchain software firm Coincover and DevOps platform Bitrise, and spent nearly 14 years at analytics company Qlik, where he held several senior roles including vice-president of strategic growth and business transformation.

Mr Schreiber, who founded Freightos in 2012 and led the company for more than a decade, stepped down from the board earlier this year after what he described as diverging views with directors over the company’s direction.

“As our perspectives on the direction for the company have diverged, I prefer to step off the board at this time,” he said, adding that he would remain a shareholder and supporter of the business.

After 14 years building Freightos, Mr Schreiber said he was proud of its role in helping modernise international shipping and building a network linking thousands of carriers, freight forwarders and shippers.

He is now planning another start-up, which he has suggested will rely far more heavily on artificial intelligence than traditional software teams. While Freightos employed around 100 developers, he said the new venture could operate with just a handful of human engineers alongside AI systems.

Mr Schreiber has also warned that rapid advances in AI could reshape the labour market, arguing that job displacement may outpace job creation without policy intervention.