The global transport and logistics group Panalpina has appointed Mario Kropf new Regional CEO for its AMEC (Africa, Middle East, Central Asia) business region. He will take office on 1 August 2007, reporting directly to CEO Monika Ribar.

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Mario Kropf has extensive logistics and managerial experience. Although he is of Swiss nationality he has spent most of his working career in Africa and Asia. Since 2001 he has been Managing Director of the Panalpina Central Asia area. In this function he was responsible for the country organizations in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and a back office in Dubai. He contributed significantly to the growing success of this area in recent years.

Before moving to Central Asia, Mario was a driving force behind the successful going-operational of Panalpina India with five business units and three sales offices. From 1975 until 1981 he served as transport and project manager of Panalpina Nigeria. Other stations in his career included posts for the Swiss Disaster Relief Corps in the Sahara, logistics and procurement coordinator for the International Committee of the Red Cross in East Africa and the Horn of Africa as well as the foundation and management of a project and heavy lift company in India, which acted as agent for Panalpina at the time.

Strategically vital business region
The AMEC region is the backbone of Panalpina’s Oil & Gas and project business and is therefore of strategic importance for the Group, explained CEO Monika Ribar. “With his vast managing experience, understanding of the customers’ business and his in-depth industry know-how in the project and oil and gas segments, Mario Kropf will ensure that the AMEC region will further develop and prosper in the future”, she added. During the last few months, the AMEC region has been managed by Chief Operations Officer Jörg Eggenberger on an interim basis.

The Panalpina Group

The Panalpina Group is one of the world's leading suppliers of forwarding and logistics services, specializing in intercontinental air freight and ocean freight shipments and associated supply chain management solutions. Thanks to its in-depth industry know-how and state-of-the-art IT systems, Panalpina provides globally integrated door-to-door forwarding solutions tailored to its customers' individual needs. The Panalpina Group operates a close-knit network with some 500 branches in more than 80 countries. In a further 60 countries, it cooperates closely with partner companies. Panalpina employs some 14 000 people worldwide.