Rob Smith

Kion Group - Germany

Kion Group has extended chief executive officer Rob Smith’s contract by five years to the end of 2029.

“On behalf of the supervisory board I am glad that we can continue our trusted relationship with Rob Smith,” says Kion board chairman Hans Peter Ring. “I am confident that under Rob‘s proven leadership we will open the next chapter of the success story of Kion.

Smith, the former CEO of Konecranes, holds a BSE in Systems Engineering from Princeton University, an MBA in International Operations and Finance from the University of Texas at Austin – Red McCombs School of Business.

He earned his Diplom-Kaufmann and Dr. rer. pol. degrees from the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management in Koblenz, Germany and wrote his dissertation on Global Supply Chain Performance and Risk Optimisation.

Patrick Kelleher

DHL Group - United States

DHL has promoted Patrick Kelleher, the company’s global chief development officer, to North America chief executive officer, effective July 1. 

Kelleher will replace Scott Sureddin, who will retire on December 31.

“As we enter this period of transition, Patrick’s focus will be to continue our success while exploring new avenues to strengthen our market position in addition to driving our sustainability and digitalisation efforts,” says Oscar de Bok, the company’s global CEO. 

Kelleher, who joined DHL in 1992, will be responsible for managing the business across the United States and Canada and its 52,000 associates. 

He will be based at the DHL Supply Chain’s North America headquarters in Westerville, Ohio.

Mario Dümer

Elokon GmbH - Germany

Mario Dümer, who joined Elokon GmbH as a service technician in 2017, has been appointed the company’s new managing director.  

Elokon says Dümer, with his deep understanding of the industry and strategic acumen, has been instrumental in driving various management initiatives, including streamlining the supply chain, improving service operations and developing innovative cloud-based fleet management and forklift safety solutions.

In his new role, Dümer will oversee the operational aspects of Elokon GmbH, ensure seamless customer support, optimise supply chain processes and foster collaboration with sister companies Elokon Inc. in Atlanta and Elokon Polska in Warsaw.

Mark Keeler

Gee Heavy Machinery - United States

Komatsu dealer Gee Heavy Machinery has named heavy equipment industry veteran Mark Keeler as the company’s new general manager. 

Keeler will assume responsibility for overseeing all facets of Gee Heavy Machinery's operations in Northern California, with a focus on driving growth and enhancing operational efficiency.

"Mark's extensive experience makes him the ideal candidate to lead our team into the next phase of growth and success,” says Gee Heavy Machinery chief operational officer Joel Larson. 

Keeler has held various senior leadership positions, most recently serving as vice president of the Caterpillar dealership in the Pacific Northwest covering Washington, Alaska, Montana and Western North Dakota.