Dear Valued Partner,
It’s hard to believe that it has already been one year since the acquisition of MD Logistics and MD Express by Nippon Express U.S.A. was announced, yet here we are, approaching 2022 and planning for the next phase of growth for our organization.
During the initial acquisition announcement, growth and opportunity were on the horizon, and an emphasis on maintaining our leadership team and the integrity of our organization was communicated. Over the course of the last twelve months, several team members took on new roles and responsibilities within the organization, upholding that commitment to our Team Members and clients.
Today we are announcing the future MD Logistics and MD Express Leadership Team Members.
Effective October 1, 2021, Mark Sell will be stepping down as President and CEO. John Sell, current Vice President, will assume the role of President and CEO of the organization. Mark will assume an Executive Advisor role, primarily focused on supporting John and the organization through this transition. His additional focus will be to support the ongoing strategic growth strategies of the organization while mentoring new members of the Executive Team.
John has been an integral part of the company’s growth since he joined the team in 1996, assuming many roles within freight forwarding, IT and operations, and leading the retail organization for the last 12 years. As a mentor, John has worked to build leaders and promote talent throughout the organization. John’s knowledge of the end-to-end supply chain, from point of manufacturing to the end consumer, and a firm understanding of our client base, will allow him to continue to lead the organization with a service first mindset. A true cornerstone of the MDL culture, John believes in recognizing the hard work of our team members and ensuring our clients expectations are met every day.
Jeff Luthman will transition into a new role within the Executive Team, taking on a more sales focused role as Vice President, Business Development. Jeff has led the life sciences and pharmaceutical business vertical since joining the team in 2008, with direct oversight for additional departments to include HR and IT. Having a firm understanding of our operations, technological offerings and industry regulations, and combining over 30 years of industry experience, Jeff will target key clients moving forward. Over the coming months, Jeff will also mentor and support the overall transition of the organization.
Chad Hodges will assume the role of Vice President, Life Sciences Solutions. Chad earned his MBA in Applied Business Management from Indiana Wesleyan University and has over 25 years of supply chain and healthcare logistics experience. Having joined the team in 2006, Chad was a key part of our WMS implementation when he started in operations. Chad has established himself as a remarkable leader within the organization, having worked his way up to overseeing all five of our pharmaceutical facilities for the past 10 years. During his time at MDL, Chad has mentored numerous employees and has worked to place his team members in the right roles to ensure their success. One of his most recent achievements includes spearheading our serialization and DSCSA compliance initiatives. Having built strong operational relationships with some of the top ten global pharmaceutical companies, Chad’s industry knowledge and dedication to our clients will continue as he leads the life sciences organization moving forward.
Ryan Robertson will assume the role of Vice President, Retail and Transportation Solutions, to include oversight of the MD Express Team. Ryan earned his MBA in Industrial Management from the University of Cincinnati and has over 25 years supply chain experience in the consumer goods manufacturing industry. Since joining the team in 2017, his experience in transportation, supply chain, and operational management has proven to be exceptional, leading our retail operation through various engineering and technology upgrades over the past few years. With a strong desire to teach and mentor team members, Ryan has created and encourages a learning environment within his teams. His familiarity and commitment to stay current with industry and transportation trends and new technologies will serve him and the retail organization well as he moves into this new role.
It is important to recognize Casey Suzuki who assumed the role of Vice President, Finance in February of this year after joining Nippon Express in October of 2020. Casey received his MBA from the University of Chicago, holds CIA, CISA and CAMS certifications, and spent 37 years working at MUFG Bank, Japan’s largest bank. Casey has been a welcomed addition to the Team, as we have transitioned into new accounting practices and reporting requirements from Nippon. Effective October 1st, Casey will have direct oversight for our HR and Quality departments and will continue to lead the organization to ensure corporate compliance.
As we approach our 26th year in business, there is an enormous amount of opportunity within the supply chain market, and we are excited about the growth it will create for our clients and employees. Restructuring our executive team is one of many steps we are taking to ensure we are well positioned and prepared to continue our success as an organization. Over the next handful of months, the executive team and Board of Directors will work to ensure members of the MDL Team are transitioning appropriately into their new roles as it has always been leadership’s vision to assemble the most capable and talented team to delight our clients. We are excited about our future and the opportunities we have to expand our product offerings and remain a leading service provider in the 3PL industry.
Sincerely,
The MD Logistics Board of Directors
