Kinaxia Logistics has announced a series of new board appointments, along with an investment programme for 2025 that it said would embrace AI, staff retention and decarbonisation.
Gareth Jenkins has joined the board as executive chairman, supporting the company’s medium and long-term strategy and replacing Graham Norfolk, who had been a director with the company since 2015.
Allan Blakeley has been appointed COO and Kinaxia said he had more than 30 years’ experience in UK and European logistics and e-commerce fulfilment.
Finally, Simon Nelson moves from COO to a new post of MD, contract logistics. His role is to develop and expand Kinaxia’s key customer base and contract logistics services.
The appointments follow a shake-up at the company, which saw directors Peter Fields and Neil Ashworth resign from their positions shortly before Christmas.
They also come as the company pursues its strategic plans with a focus on getting closer to its customers.
Jenkins said the investment programme concentrated on key areas, including technology, service excellent, talent retention and sustainability.
Kinaxia said it wanted to make greater use of business information and AI to improve data-led decision making.
It also aimed to help decarbonise its customers’ supply chains as well as its own carbon footprint.
Jenkins said: “I’m excited to join Kinaxia at this time as the team starts to build a robust platform for the future.
“In a short period of time, I have been able to meet many people throughout the organisation who I know will help build a business we are all rightly proud of.
“It’s clear from my 25 years spanning different organisations that success is delivered by the quality of the people you have, and in Kinaxia I can already see that drive for improvement everywhere.
“Underpinning this will be new investment during 2025 to help deliver the strategy to build a platform for long-term, sustainable growth and drive transformation in key areas, including operational efficiency, technology and sustainability.”
He added: “We also welcome Allan to the senior team. His arrival ensures we have the experience, expertise and leadership to consolidate our market position, develop our customer proposition and deliver the highest-quality logistics services to our existing and new clients.”
