JF Hillebrand picks logistics veteran Cees van Gent as new CEO

Cees van Gent is to take over as CEO of JF Hillebrand Group on October 1.

He will replace Christophe Bernard, who has been with the company for 35 years and will remain until March to oversee the transition.

Mr van Gent has an impressive history in freight. He was CEO and chairman of the board of executive directors for Lehnkering Group, and has been CEO of DHL Freight Germany and Van Ganeswinkwel Group.

“Cees brings a combination of deep management expertise from leading multinational companies in areas such as logistics, infrastructure, and environment, with a match in our values around passion for service and customer intimacy,” said Christof Hillebrand, chairman of the supervisory board. “His appointment sets the company on a path which we are very excited about, particularly for our 2020 business plan goals to digitise the customer experience and fast-track service innovation.”

Mr van Gent added: “It is a great honour to be appointed CEO for JF Hillebrand Group. What makes this organisation special is its unique friendly and flexible, entrepreneurial, and decentralised culture. Within our industry, the company is known for its unparalleled service and that is what I am going to continue building on in the coming years. With my experience in building and buying better businesses, I look forward to accelerating the implementation of the 2020 business plan vision around customer centricity and innovation.”