Flexport CEO Petersen overhauls top management

Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen has reorganized his executive team after retaking the company reins a month ago, leaning on several veteran managers as well as a couple recent hires from Amazon who have taken on new and expanded roles, a company official confirmed Friday.

News of leadership changes comes the same day that the San Francisco-based logistics company laid off 20% of its staff as it copes with a sharp drop in revenues related to weak shipping demand. The freight forwarder has been on a roller coaster ride ever since Petersen returned to the CEO role, replacing Amazon logistics guru Dave Clark after a tenure that ended after only a few months over disagreements about the direction of the company.

People selected for core leadership positions fit Petersen’s vision for growth centered on serving large and small customers by addressing their specific needs on import/export transportation, as well as direct-to-consumer delivery, a new organizational chart shared with FreightWaves shows. Petersen has previously said that Clark lost touch with customers in an effort to automate more freight processes.

The Information was first to report the new leadership team. The flatter management structure is organized around making decisions faster, delivering on customer service and developing customizable products and technology for customers.

Stuart Leung is the new chief financial officer. He replaces Kenny Wagers, who CNBC previously said was fired. Leung was promoted from head of finance. He also spent four-and-a-half years prior to that in top executive roles for North American logistics operations after joining the company from the investment banking sector.

Parisa Sadrzadeh has expanded her scope in her role as executive vice president, small-and-medium business and omnichannel. Her responsibilities include Flexport’s new bundled fulfillment product that manages international freight shipping and warehouse order fulfillment for small businesses. She followed Clark to Flexport from Amazon, where she played a key role in managing last-mile delivery.

Neel Jones Shah was named chief customer officer and executive vice president for key global accounts, moving from executive vice president, air strategy and carrier development. In his new role as the primary liaison to large shippers, he will map out Flexport’s products and services to solve their freight challenges. A former cargo chief at Delta Air Lines and vice president of cargo sales at United Airlines, Jones Shah has more than 25 years’ experience in logistics running large sales organizations and has been at Flexport for seven years, including as global head of airfreight serving some of the company’s biggest customers.

Zeid Houssami, who earlier this year took over day-to-day management of air cargo activity, is the new vice president of airfreight. He joined the company two years ago from Expeditors, where he was in charge of air strategy.

Harish Abbott, who was CEO of Deliverr and came over when Flexport acquired the last-mile fulfillment company from Shopify last summer, is the chief customer officer, omnichannel. Bill Driegert, the former head of Uber Freight who was hired in May to build Flexport’s trucking product, is the executive vice president, North America.

Petersen appointed Sanne Manders as president, international. He previously was president of ocean and air. Manders has been part of Flexport’s executive team since its founding, including a stint as chief operating officer.

Rounding out Petersen’s team are: