Sebastian Birkel will take over the management of the Europcar Mobility Group from May 1, 2025. He succeeds Olivier Baldassari in his new position, who is currently acting as interim CEO after Alain Favey left the company. Baldassari will remain Chief Operating Officer of the Europcar Mobility Group.
Previously, Birkel led, among other things, the operational development and turnaround of the North America business region for Sixt for five years - more than three of them as CEO & President. Afterward, Birkel took over responsibility as division board member at Sixt for global vehicle procurement as well as group accounting and controlling. Most recently, he acted as CEO of the Profection Group. From May 1, 2025, the management board of the Europcar Mobility Group will consist of: Sebastian Birkel as Group CEO, Joachim Hinz as the new Chief Financial Officer, and Olivier Baldassari as Chief Operating Officer.
Geodis announces the appointment of Hervé Cornède as Executive Vice-President, Public Affairs. He will be
a member of the group's board, led by Marie-Christine Lombard, Chief Executive Officer. Cornède has 30 years of experience in the transport and logistics industry. From 2009 to 2018, he was a member of the board of the Port of Le Havre. In 2012, he helped to establish the Haropa Port EIG (Economic Interest Group) and served as Marketing and Sales Director until 2018, when he became Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Soget Group. He is also a French Foreign Trade Advisor (CCEF).
Also on May 1, 2025, Daniel Hosseus will take on the newly created position of Executive Vice President Global Public Affairs at BLG Logistics. In his new role, he will be responsible for the targeted expansion of political relations domestically and abroad. Hosseus is moving from his previous position as Chief Executive Officer of the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS), which he held since 2014. Previously, he spent 13 years with the German Shipowners'
Association (VDR).
Timke Precht will assume the position of Managing Director Operations at Sievert Baustoffe SE & Co. KG on April 15, 2025, and will report directly to Chief Executive Officer René Grupp in this role. He has almost 35 years of professional experience in consulting and industry. Previously, he worked in Spain, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg with Ernst & Young, Ursa, Wavin, and BMI.
Georg Eckmair will become the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Managing Director at the Schwarzmüller Group. Before his transition, he was Vice President of Corporate Controlling at Lenzing AG. Previously, he held various management positions at Siemens and NordLB in Germany and Singapore. In his new role, he will be responsible for finance, legal, and human resources at the Schwarzmüller Group. The previous CFO, Daniela Lorenzer, has decided to leave the company of her own accord to pursue new professional goals.
Huib ten Cate has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Oudkerk BV. He
is responsible for the logistics company's activities from the HGK Group in the Netherlands and Belgium. Ten Cate succeeds Kees Potters, who is retiring as Managing Director. Most recently, ten Cate managed the activities of Wilhelmsen Port Services in the Netherlands, Belgium, and German ports. Potters will remain with Oudkerk until the end of 2025 but will give up his role as Managing Director as of September 2025.
Cellcentric announces a change in organizational structure: After four years with Cellcentric, Managing Director (CCO & COO) Lars Johansson is returning to Sweden. From May 2025, he will contribute his expertise and commitment as Senior Vice President Project and Product Strategy Office to the Volvo Group. Nicholas Loughlan will take over as Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer, also responsible for External Affairs, Sales, Marketing, and Communication. Additionally, he will act as spokesman for the Cellcentric board from May 1, 2025. The search for Lars Johansson's successor as Managing Director and COO is currently
