Allcargo puts Scandella at tiller to take ECU Worldwide to next level

Allcargo Logistics Ltd has named industry veteran Claudio Scandella as the CEO of ECU Worldwide to drive the next phase of growth at the global unit that contributes 80 per cent of the revenue and 50 per cent of the profit to the Mumbai-listed integrated logistics firm.

Scandella, a Swiss national, was until recently a member of the global logistics giant DHL Global Forwarding’s senior leadership team as the CEO for its Middle East, Africa and Turkey region.

He will be initially based in India for a short period to familiarise with group activities.

Four regional CEOs of ECU Worldwide, having presence in over 160 countries, will report to Scandella as part of the strategic overhaul of the senior management structure undertaken by Allcargo Founder and Chairman Shashi Kiran Shetty. Scandella will report to Shetty.

Founded in 1987 in Belgium, ECU Worldwide is one of the global leaders in non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) services and the biggest less-than-container-load (LCL) consolidator in the world.

Allcargo, one of India’s biggest publicly-owned logistics firms, acquired the company in 2006 and consolidated its global footprint with over 300 offices.

“ECU is an important subsidiary of the company. Globally, it is considered one of the world’s largest NVOCC in terms of geographical presence and volumes carried, which is systematically handled, largely through its offices. We plan to take it to the next level of growth through digitalisation, tapping into new markets and areas, including diversification of our offerings. We are strengthening the top management to drive this new phase in line with the emerging opportunities,” Shetty said.

“The plan is to deepen and widen the management bandwidth in the company to grow the business,” Shetty told BusinessLine .

“I’ll take a more strategic role”, he said.

Scandella brings over 30 years of industry experience, having held senior positions with different logistics firms across geographies.

Backed by his in-depth understanding of key customer issues and global experience, he will look to create a sustainable roadmap along with the existing leadership team for future business growth and development, with a customer-centric business model.

“ECU Worldwide has set its own benchmarks in operations, with its strong values and capabilities. The changing global scenario still offers potential to tap further and this will make my journey with ECU challenging and exciting at the same time. I will be working closely with Shetty and the team to leverage technology to bring in efficiency for customers as well as for internal processes,” Scandella said.

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