Nallian appoints Lionel van der Walt as chief commercial officer

Lionel van der Walt

Lionel van der Walt is set to become chief commercial officer of Nallian on 1 July.

Mr van der Walt, a well-known figure in air cargo, who has worked for PayCargo, and headed IATA’s US arm CNS, will be responsible for driving growth at the IT company, which focuses on cargo community systems (CCS) at airports.

Although Nallian is Belgian, Mr van der Walt returns to Raleigh in the US after a stint in Europe at Raft, where he was chief growth officer.

“Nallian can do a lot more in North America,” Mr van der Walt told The Loadstar. “The company is going global. I will play a role in helping the company grow globally, but my key focus will be on North America. It’s still a tough market to crack, as lots of airports haven’t bought into the CCS idea yet.

“Airports in Europe see it as a strategic initiative, but in North America airports have a different spin. You need consent of all the stakeholders, and a community-wide agreement – that in itself is a nightmare. But we are starting to see a shift. Dallas/Fort Worth is now working with Nallian.”

Mr van der Walt added that he was delighted to continue working with a European company, despite wanting to be based near family in the US.

“I know the team, love the culture. Nallian is still a start-up, but it has taken a different approach. It doesn’t have large venture capital investors, it has financed itself. It remains lean, and focuses on how to be profitable rather than raising large sums of money.”

Jean Verheyen, CEO of Nallian, said: “Lionel’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for Nallian as we continue to expand our footprint in the global market.

“His extensive experience, network and strategic vision will be instrumental in accelerating our growth trajectory and delivering exceptional value to our customers, starting in the US where we already work with leading players such as Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Menzies in Los Angeles.”