Forto Appoints Jochen Freese Executive Vice President of Procurement and Business Development

Forto, a leading provider of digitized freight forwarding and supply chain solutions, today announced that Jochen Freese has joined the company’s executive team as executive vice president of procurement and business development.

According to Forto CEO and Co-Founder Michael Wax, Freese’s executive level experience with global logistics leaders brings the right skillset to Forto during a critical growth phase. “Jochen has a proven track record in helping large, worldwide customers in such industry segments as retail and fashion, high tech, healthcare and automotive optimize their transport and logistics,” explained Wax. “This customer focus, combined with his experience in building strong products and partnerships, makes him an ideal fit to help us navigate the next stage of Forto’s development.”

Freese joins Forto after serving as Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer for CEVA Logistics SASU, an international provider of transportation and supply chain solutions operating in more than 160 countries, and listed amongst the highest ranked logistics providers globally. In his prior role, Freese was responsible for driving CEVA’s top line revenue and business development and led the company’s global industry segments (Automotive, Healthcare, Industrial and Aerospace, Technology, and Fashion and Retail). He was also a member of the CEVA executive board. Before joining CEVA, Freese held the role of Chief Commercial Officer for Hellmann Worldwide Logistics (HWL) while also serving for a period of time as CEO for Air and Sea Freight. While at Hellmann, Freese directed sales, business development, solutions, and marketing during a transformational phase for the company. 

In his new role, Freese will oversee the development and management of the Forto offerings across transport modes – sea, air, rail, etc. Teams reporting to Freese will drive global procurement of transport capacities, management and growth of the Forto partner network, and strategic business development. Freese and his team will also work in close collaboration with the Forto technical and product teams to align logistics and supply chain service requirements with Forto technologies to enable a best-in-class digital offering.

Freese also brings significant expertise in helping companies build out their global infrastructure and network during pivotal periods. Prior to joining Hellmann Worldwide Logistics (HWL), Freese served as group EVP and regional president for the EMENA region for UTi Worldwide, Inc., a global supply chain and logistics company acquired by global logistics provider DSV in 2015. In this role, Freese oversaw the Europe, Middle East, and Northern Africa regions, holding overall P&L responsibility and serving as a member of the global executive team. For UTi, Freese also held a variety of VP-level commercial roles, driving the company’s regional and industry-focused business lines.

“The transport and logistics industry is going through a significant evolution. The last few years have demonstrated how different segments of the supply chain can affect the ways in which people live and work,” comment Freese. “Transparency and visibility, digitally-driven efficiencies, and environmental impact are at the top of customers’ supply chain agendas, and they are looking for partners that can support them in these areas,” commented Freese. ” I strongly believe that companies with digitally-driven freight forwarding models will emerge as leaders amidst these changes. This focus on change is built into the Forto DNA, and I’m excited to join Forto in this journey.”

Forto is leading a new generation of disruptive logistics companies, using its digital platform to simplify interactions, remove process friction, and increase supply chain visibility and transparency — in turn empowering customers with better insights to make smarter decisions. Leading brands across industries ranging from fashion, furniture, and electronics are working with Forto to manage the transport of their goods. The company has also set the goal to make global trade more sustainable. Already more than half of Forto customers leverage the company’s carbon-offsetting offer, and Forto has implemented the “1 +1 Approach” — a program in which Forto doubles the CO2 compensation of every customer to move towards climate-positive transports.