Olya Lebedyeva has been appointed as SEKO Logistics’ new vice president of business development.

According to SEKO, Lebedyeva will be based in Chicago and will oversee growth into new markets through the company’s Strategic Partners initiative, which looks for existing independent companies that want to join SEKO or individuals who open a new SEKO location in their market to serve customers around the world using SEKO’s technology, brand and operational standards.

“This is an extremely important position within our organization because SEKO’s Strategic Partners have played, and continue to play, such a vital role in accelerating our growth and building our brand as a first-class logistics and technology provider,” said William Wascher, CEO of SEKO Logistics. “We want to do more with our existing partners and bring onboard new ones that extend our reach and add value to the total SEKO offering. Given Olya’s reputation as an innovative developer of new products and new business, we are delighted to welcome her to our team.”

Lebedyeva joins from Air Menzies International in the US, where she was general manager for five years. She previously worked at Platinum Air Cargo, SAS Cargo and Alliance Airlines.