Cargo management systems provider Hermes Logistics Technologies has appointed Alexis Labonne as its new chief technology officer.

According to Hermes, Labonne will head the HLT team of air cargo technical experts, who are now following a digital roadmap to use cloud services, IoT, AI and blockchain technologies to prepare for the release of H5, the latest version of a suite of applications including HERMES CMS, Hermes HMS and HERMES Business Intelligence.

H5 will be rolled out globally later this year, with a European handling agent due to be among the first users.

“I am keen on dynamic engineering patterns and practices to foster innovation and reduce productivity drag,” said Labonne. “My technical experience allows me to be both responsive to market demands, as well as changing technology trends.”

Labonne takes over from Oded Lavee and has more than 20 years of experience in technology. He was most recently architect and CTO at Hitachi Consulting, and has also worked as chief architect, CTO and enterprise architect for companies including BT, GSK, UK Council, Pfizer and KPMG.

“Hermes has invested considerably to advance our technological infrastructure, as well as the Hermes functionality,” said Yuval Baruch, chief executive officer of Hermes Logistics Technologies. “Our H5 version is proof of our innovation-focused approach to the industry, aimed at ensuring that our customers keep benefitting from the best cargo management system and hub management system in the world. Alexis brings with him extensive experience to support Hermes to further strengthen our technical capabilities.”

HLT is headquartered in the UK and has been developing digital solutions for airlines and air cargo handlers since 2002.