New Managing Director at a. hartrodt in the Netherlands
Bouke Laan continues to grow at the Port of Rotterdam and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
On January 1, 2025, Bouke Laan will take over responsibility for a. hartrodt nederland as Managing Director. The 45-year-old succeeds Thomas Malecki (66), who is retiring after almost a quarter of a century of an international career at a. hartrodt. Laan has worked for the freight forwarding company for just as long since his apprenticeship, most recently ten years as General Manager Airfreight at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. In his new position, he takes the lead over the Rotterdam headquarters plus the office at Amsterdam Airport "to jointly drive the development of a. hartrodt nederland forward".
Thomas Malecki: Career in Australia, Indonesia, Netherlands
Before relocating to Rotterdam in 2012, Thomas Malecki was Managing Director at a. hartrodt Indonesia. The Freight Forwarder and graduate of the German Foreign Trade and Transport Academy DAV in Bremen joined the company in Australia in early 2000. Before emigrating there and graduating from the University of Sydney with a Master's degree in Transport Management, he had worked in project freight forwarding in Libya. He sums up his career as a "great experience".
Strengthen customer loyalty as a logistics source of information
In the saturated Dutch market, a. hartrodt competes with large freight forwarders. The family-owned business wants to score points not only as freight forwarder, but also as a service provider that offers more than just sea and air freight transportation. Bouke Laan has committed to focusing even more on "our advisory role" and strengthening customer loyalty as an "external logistics source of information, unburdening is the key word in this". His growth strategy aims to "increase sales activities and create opportunities for new business". Like his predecessor, he will "drive innovation and change to ensure our competitiveness in a challenging environment".
As a particular focus, Bouke Laan also mentions the employees, including "a great working atmosphere". Three new positions are to be staffed in the short term – in accounting in Rotterdam as well as in sales and operational export in Amsterdam.