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UPS: changes at the top support new operating model

UPS has been shifting its focus of late, completing its Amazon volume "glide-down" and network reconfiguration initiatives in June 2026, to concentrate on accelerating profitable growth. A new operating model designed to better leverage its global network comes into effect today, September 1, with standardised critical processes alongside flexibility in meeting unique local market needs. Leading the new model will be Nando Cesarone, appointed to the post of executive vice president and chief global operations officer, overseeing UPS's global air network and gateways, surface transportation, building and engineering operations, Intelligent Network of the Future initiatives, automotive operations, and sustainability functions. Matt Guffey is named executive vice president and chief US domestic officer, while the search to fill the newly created role of executive vice president and chief global commercial strategy officer (responsible for global strategy, marketing and communications, product management, and pricing) is now under way. At the same time, UPS executive vice president and president, international, healthcare and supply chain solutions Kate Gutmann is to retire for personal family reasons. She will, however, continue to serve as a strategic advisor until March 2027. Gutmann will be succeeded by Wilfredo Ramos, who currently leads UPS's Asia Pacific and brokerage businesses, and will be titled executive vice president and chief international, healthcare and supply chain solutions officer. Effective September 1, 2026, UPS said the following executives will report directly to the chief executive:

SME Freight Forwarders: Challenges, opportunities and advice

The freight forwarding industry is changing fast, with consolidation, growing competition from major carriers and integrators, and a volatile geopolitical landscape reshaping the market. In this episode of The Loadstar Podcast, we speak to Dan March, CEO of WCAworld, about what these changes mean for small and medium-sized forwarders. Are SMEs being squeezed out by industry consolidation, or does their size give them an advantage when it comes to agility, flexibility and personalised service? Dan also shares his perspective on the biggest challenges facing independent forwarders, the opportunities emerging from today's disruption, and how the sector could evolve over the next decade, all in just 20 minutes.

German and Dutch ports braced for strike action

Seaports in Germany and the Netherlands are braced for industrial action this week, with German dockers set to strike from later today (2 September) and their Dutch colleagues joining in on the action on Friday. German trade union ver.di has issued a strike call, its members having yesterday rejected the latest pay offer from the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS) in what it described as an "escalating" dispute . Contacted by The Loadstar this afternoon, ver.di said it was once again calling on workers at ports in Lower Saxony, Bremen and Hamburg to take part in a warning strike from the Wednesday evening night shift (2 September) to the end of the Friday evening night shift on 4 September. The union staged similar action on 18 August. "The feedback is clear: the offer is not enough," commented one of ver.di's lead negotiators, Sylvi Krisch. In a statement earlier today, Christian Warnke, a ver.di union spokesperson who works at the Port of Hamburg's Burchardkai said: "More than 6,000 employees took part in the feedback round, which lasted just under a week. A large majority voted against accepting the employers' offer. This means that negotiations must continue. We are still waiting for a new date for negotiations. But there has been radio silence from the employers. Anyone who does not want to come to the negotiating table must feel the pressure from the streets. That is why we are now going on strike." In a message issued to customers this afternoon, Kuehne + Nagel (K+N) said that "according to current information, the strike is due to begin today, 02 September, with the start of the late shift at approximately 2200 local time, and it is expected to continue for 48 hours". During this period, container terminals are expected to suspend operational activities. Container deliveries and pick-ups will not be possible while the strike is in effect, it warned. "The disruption may result in delays, cancellations and handling interruptions at port terminals. These developments come at a time when German ports and transport capacities are already heavily utilised, while terminal utilisation remains high," K+N added Meanwhile, tri-modal transport operator Contargo is warning customers of potential disruption to freight traffic and intermodal services on 4 September due to strike action at seaports in the Netherlands, notably Rotterdam. The industrial action is understood to form part of wider union opposition to plans by the Dutch government to reduce social welfare spending. "A strike has been announced in the Dutch seaports for 4 September. Based on the information currently available, we expect terminal operations in Rotterdam to be severely restricted or completely suspended between approximately 1030 and 2000 local time," Contargo said. In addition, a nationwide 24-hour stoppage has been called in the rail sector for 9 September 2026.