Vanguard Logistics Services has appointed Biju Kewalram to the role of Global COO
October 12, 2010
Vanguard Logistics Services has appointed Biju Kewalram to the role of Global COO.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company is a leading “neutral” provider of global ocean shipping and logistics services, including Hong Kong-based Vanguard Logistics Services (Hong Kong).
Kewalram, based in the California corporate headquarters, has been the company’s CIO for more than 10 years and has championed the migration of the company’s technology towards a modern platform with emphasis on a single operations platform, web based and electronically connected services.
“Biju has worked closely with [global CEO] Charlie [Brennan] and me, especially as we have increasingly incorporated IT into our service delivery functions,” says Owen Glenn, founder and Executive Chairman.
“He is passionate in his support for our vision of how a 21st century organisation should deliver solutions of value to our customers. In the process of leading us towards a single operating platform, he has developed a strong understanding of our operations requirements as they are today and as they should be in the future.”
In the process of taking on COO responsibilities, Kewalram will restructure the technology function into teams that work more directly with the operational business units they are servicing and for which he will now be responsible, while continuing to maintain a governing vision over IT to ensure focus.
“The logical next step in our evolution as a customer-sensitive organisation is to hear what our clients are saying about wanting to expend less effort on their part and more visibility in the entire quote to bill operational cycle as they transact business with us,” Kewalram says.
Brennan adds that his appointment “speaks volumes to our commitment to continued investment in finding new and innovative ways – both to service our customers and towards finding internal efficiencies”.
“We are a versatile company built around a strong core vision and Biju understands how zealous we are about both those outcomes.”
The appointment is effective November 1, 2010.