DHL Global Forwarding has announced a change in its Asia Pacific top management prompted by the retirement of Kelvin Leung, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding, Asia Pacific.

In a statement, the freight specialist arm of Deutsche Post DHL Group, said Leung, will retire from the Group after more than two decades of valued contribution and he will be succeeded by Niki Frank, currently CEO, DHL Global Forwarding South Asia.

DHL said Frank will assume his new role as CEO of DHL Global Forwarding for the Asia Pacific region, effective July 1, 2023.

In a tribute to its outgoing chief executive, the DHL Global Freight Forwarding announcement noted Leung's "long and illustrious career" in the logistics industry, having joined Danzas AEI in 2002 and assuming various leadership roles in DHL Global Forwarding in the region before he took on the position of CEO, DHL Global Forwarding North Asia Pacific in 2008.

In 2011, his leadership responsibilities expanded with his appointment as CEO of Asia Pacific — where he achieved record revenue and tremendous market share growth.

"He was instrumental in transforming the region by improving freight forwarding solutions, making DHL Global Forwarding a pioneer of rail solutions between Asia and Europe, and growing the Intra-Asia business substantially," DHL said.

Tim Scharwath, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight, said: "I wish to express my sincere thanks to Kelvin for his strong commitment, outstanding contributions to the business, and the results achieved over the past years. We wish him all the best for his well-deserved retirement."

"Congratulations to Niki on his new role, and I wish him great success in his new position. Niki's extensive experience, strategic acumen, and proven track record in driving performance make him the ideal choice to lead the Asia Pacific region," Scharwath added.

Focus on driving digitalization, sustainability

Frank, welcomed his appointment and signaled a focus on driving digitalization and sustainability.

"Together with our dedicated teams, I am confident that we will further strengthen our position as a market leader, deliver exceptional customer experiences, and contribute to a more sustainable future," the designated CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific, added.

Frank began his career at DPDHL Group in 2012, joining as vice president of Corporate Strategy. In 2019, he assumed the role of CEO, India before taking on additional responsibilities for the newly created subregion of South Asia in 2021.