Panalpina veteran Neil Dursley new chief commercial officer at Chapman Freeborn

Chapman Freeborn Airchartering has appointed Neil Dursley as its chief commercial officer. 

Mr Dursley joins from Panalpina where he spent seven years, as senior vice president government, based in London, and vice president of marketing and sales in the Middle East. Prior to that he was vice president global government for UPS Supply Chains for six years after a stint at Menlo Forwarding. 

With more than 25 years of experience in global, customer-focused logistics companies, he brings extensive leadership and business development capabilities to the role. Mr Dursley replaces Philip Mathews who left Chapman in June last year to become chief executive for ACC Aviation. 

Mr Dursley will responsible for Chapman Freeborn’s commercial strategy, providing direction for global sales teams, as well as working closely with the wider organisation to ensure the company maintains its position in the market. 

In his new role, he will work closely with Chapman Freeborn’s chief executive officer Russi Batliwala, chief operating officer Shahe Ouzounian, and other members of the senior management team. 

Mr Batliwala said: “We are excited to bring in someone with Neil’s experience, leadership skills, and expertise in servicing both government and commercial sector customers on a global basis. He has an outstanding track record, and he will be an asset to the group as we focus on driving growth.” 

Mr Dursley is based at Chapman Freeborn’s London Gatwick headquarters and joined the group on April 1.