Change of Managing Directors at a. hartrodt Germany
Willem van der Schalk will become a consultant, responsibilities will be decoupled.
On March 31, 2021, Willem van der Schalk will give up his active role as Managing Director after altogether 43 years at a. hartrodt. He will continue to support the company in an advisory capacity until further notice. Thorsten Drunagel, who became Managing Director in Hamburg in 2019, will remain responsible for sea freight and land transport. Hendrik Khezri has been Managing Director in Frankfurt since 2013 and continues to be responsible for airfreight and sales. "We will continue our long-standing, trusting cooperation with customers," says Khezri. "In the Corona crisis, this continuity is more important than ever," adds Drunagel.
Developing Eastern Europe from Prague
Van der Schalk had been Managing Director in Hamburg for over 20 years. From the company headquarters, he also developed the Eastern European organization in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Russia. He has already handed over this responsibility to Sebastian Endt, Regional Managing Director in Prague (Czech Republic), as of January 1, 2021: "This means a further upgrading and strengthening of the region and provides new stimulus for growth," emphasizes van der Schalk.
Consulting for Scandinavia and India
In more than four decades, van der Schalk has also become the face of a. hartrodt through numerous honorary offices. The owners of the family business do not want to do without his experience and international network. Therefore, the 65-year-old will continue to manage the business in Scandinavia and on the Indian subcontinent as a consultant in the future. "For special customer requirements, I will travel on demand to the respective countries," he explains. a. hartrodt has its own offices in Sweden and Denmark as well as in India.
Van der Schalk has known the company since 1978, when he began his dual studies as Management Assistant for Freight Forwarding/Business Administration. As General Manager Airfreight in Stuttgart, he built up the airfreight division. He was then Managing Director at a. hartrodt (Belgium) in Antwerp for 15 years before relocating to Hamburg.