SEKO Logistics has appointed Tony Barnes as its chief operating officer of Asia Pacific.

According to SEKO, Barnes took up his new post from March 2017 and is based in Hong Kong. He is also SEKO’s senior vice president of ocean services.

Barnes succeeds James Gagne, who was appointed president of SEKO from the beginning of 2017. He is responsible for ensuring profitable operations and service excellence in greater China.

“Tony is a valuable addition to our executive team and brings not only a proven understanding of the needs of customers in Asia Pacific but also great knowledge and contacts in the ocean market that will help to spearhead our rapid growth in the region,” said Gagne. “SEKO’s business in Asia Pacific is being driven by our proven expertise in e-commerce and our ability to offer customers bundled software, shipping and fulfilment solutions which really set us apart from traditional forwarders. We anticipate another year of record growth in 2017.”

Barnes has more than 25 years of experience in shipping, freight forwarding and logistics, including more than 20 years in Asia. He was previously senior vice president of global ocean product development in North America at CEVA Logistics. He has also worked as senior director of Maersk and executive vice president of Arshiya International, according to SEKO.