DHL Supply Chain North America Elevates Mark Kunar to CEO as Patrick Kelleher Departs for GXO

Recommendation: appoint a data-driven chief executive to steer the regional logistics arm through the leadership transition, prioritizing subscriber growth, on-demand fulfillment, and a clear, customer-first approach. Taking time to implement this plan will help ensure innovation and clarity across roles, and spending discipline, during a period of disruption. The dhls unit should anchor the transition around tenets of customer service and reliability, and pursue experience improvements that support growth. Implement a 90-day plan with milestones: 30 days to achieve role clarity; 60 days to optimize fulfillment workflows; and 90 days to improve customer-facing metrics.

Key actions include mapping impacted operations to the new leadership, validating the experience for user and service subscriber, and confirming a concrete fulfillment strategy. The new executive should take ownership of an effective transition plan and deliver working clarity to teams, suppliers, and customers.

Operationally, the approach should be customer-centric with a bias toward innovation and scalable fulfillment capabilities. The leader should ensure the partner ecosystem remains effective, with a plan to accelerate growth and improve the user experience. The plan should cover option analyses, including on-demand fulfillment and service level improvements across working hours and weekend windows.

источник internal assessments show that, during the transition, focused communication around roles and responsibilities reduces ambiguity, supports clarity, and maintains growth momentum. Consider a phased handover that aligns with spending discipline and tenets of the org, dont overlook the fulfillment pipeline and experience improvements for subscriber cohorts.

Ultimately, the recommended trajectory keeps the operator working toward a unified strategy, taking a pragmatic option to keep dhls competitive while protecting customer service and growth. This alignment positions the unit to continue delivering value during the transition and beyond.

DHL NA leadership shifts and GXO transition: practical implications for customers, operations, and partnerships

Recommendation: Act now to map current customer contacts and demand a three-tier support framework from the new leadership handover, ensuring visibility of escalation paths and a formal transition plan within two weeks. Recently announced changes require taking decisive action to align with current teams, which will minimize disruption and keep commitments. We are pleased to see this step being taken, and recommend a named owner be assigned to each escalation path.

The operational impact centers on preserving ship capacity, storage flows, and automation initiatives through the handover. Align cross-functional teams on throughput targets, cross-border movements, and tiered risk controls, with necessary safeguards. Expect a significant emphasis on customer-facing metrics in the three quarters ahead; communicate with partners via email to keep visibility high.

Sourcing through china remains pivotal; diversify supplier bases and maintain a tiered view of supplier risk. Engage Brussels-based teams to reinforce compliance and quality. The current acumen played a leading role in shaping this transition and will be tested as faster pricing, transit times, and capacity scaling are required to grow demand in sectors such as manufacturing, retail, and healthcare.

Partnerships: maintain open lines with customers via email, reports, and direct outreach; emphasize collaboration with ecosystem players and show that the world network can expand to new markets. Provide cryopdp benchmarks and performance data to demonstrate value, and build visibility of sourcing and automation uplift for customers and traders.

Practical steps for customers now: request the names of transition owners and a reliable contact; confirm on-time ship percent targets and reporting cadence; require three-month rollout windows and a clear plan for escalation. Scott and the current team will coordinate updates, and maintain focus on the three main sectors–trading, manufacturing, and consumer goods–tracking throughput and storage against baselines to avoid disruption. Thank you for your collaboration and continued partnership.

Timeline and milestones of the leadership transition

Implement a current 90-day transition plan with a guiding committee and going director-level communications to the inbox of all directors. The plan should outline roles, responsibilities, and continuity for manufacturing, inventory, shipping, and cargo flows. Include input from kunar, mike, and armstrong to shape the candidate pool, leveraging shopify and amazon experience to signal readiness. This framework has been designed to grow the organization, just expand operating capabilities, and maintain argosy-level service for small and large customers.

Guidance and sequencing should keep clarity for directors and leadership teams; previously established governance will anchor decisions. The going pace should be measured, with regular updates delivered to the inbox and to external partners. The objective remains to facilitate a smooth transition that supports current growth and long-term reliability. Further steps will align with manufacturing improvements and commercial objectives.

Milestone	Target date	Owner	Notes
Announcement of transition and guiding framework	Week 0-2	directors	announce; set expectations; publish to inbox; align with 30-year window
Interim leadership roles defined	Week 2-4	directors	document roles; ensure continuity in manufacturing, inventory, ship and cargo
Candidate pool development	Week 4-8	HR + board	internal candidates and external contenders; shopify and amazon backgrounds noted; kunar, mike armstrong consulted
Shortlist and interviews	Week 8-12	search committee	interviews; criteria include operating discipline, growth mindset, and commercial experience
Final selection and public announcement	Week 12-14	directors	announce; ensure clarity with customers and partners
Onboarding and knowledge transfer	Week 14-20	incoming leader	facilitate handover of operations, inventory, and cargo processes
Operational handover complete	Week 20-24	transition team	formalize new operating model; align with growth plans
Performance review and long-term plan	Month 6+	directors	assess progress; revisit 30-year strategy; expand roles where needed; further collaboration with argosy initiatives

Impact on regional logistics operations, SLAs, and customer commitments

Recommendation: implement a calibrated SLA refresh across three pillars: on-time pickup, transit reliability, and dock-to-door execution, with a 90-day rollout and a staged leadership transition plus a cross-functional governance group to ensure accountability for milestones and credits. This approach leverages a 30-year industry background and aligns with growth ambitions.

Operational impact requires tightening the integration of system-wide processes and porter workflows, while aligning three core service areas: warehousing, linehaul, and last mile. Significant gains are expected in cross-border and domestic lanes; a lead role will be filled by a candidate from within the company or outside; internal partnerships with inmar can accelerate adoption of proven sourcing technologies and sales solutions.

SLAs must be specific and measurable. Implement a three-tier service level framework with Gold/Silver/Bronze equivalents, define on-time pickup and delivery windows, cargo integrity, and documentation accuracy; include credits for missed performance, and a formal escalation process to address concerns within 24 hours. This reduces customer concern and improves predictability.

Providers selection: evaluate five providers within the inmar ecosystem; adopt proven technologies for dynamic routing, load planning, and proactive exception handling; adopt a standardized sourcing framework to avoid duplicate efforts and to accelerate time-to-value. A three-month pilot will validate feasibility before folding into the standard system.

Governance alignment: appoint a president to oversee the region and a council of directors to monitor performance. Identify a candidate with a track record in supply chain leadership; the ideal event is a synchronized transition, maintaining continuity while driving service improvements. According to this plan, the leadership will lead the company toward measurable milestones while keeping customer commitments intact.

Customer communications: three explicit commitments: on-time collaboration with suppliers, transparent status updates, and guaranteed service recovery options; provide three-monthly performance reviews and quarterly business reviews. This approach supports growth expectations, strengthens the vendor network, and sustains cargo visibility across all nodes.

Dont allow complacency; implement continuous improvement loops with quarterly reviews, metrics dashboards, and executive updates. The system should deliver three clear signals: performance, reliability, and responsiveness, ensuring the companys customers receive reliable service and proven solutions.

Patrick Kelleher’s transition to GXO: new role and expected contributions

Recommendation: implement a 90-day integration plan built on acumen and strategy to anchor guiding priorities across the division, with regular inbox updates and some targeted email briefs to keep leaders aligned and accountable that feed prompt decisions.

The new role should drive rapid improvements by prioritizing move toward client-centric services, making cross-functional collaboration possible, and facilitating further progress. The approach should emphasize quick decisions, measurable outcomes, and a consistent conversation cadence with customers, suppliers, and internal partners.

Action plan for year one: expand in the north states corridor using shopify-enabled commerce to support mid-market retailers, and coordinate with partners such as kenco to implement automation and services that speed fulfillment. According to earlier plans, this will deliver quick wins in sales and services that align with years-ahead goals. A release of new solutions is targeted within the first quarter, with mcfs dashboards tracking year-over-year progress and early hikes in efficiency and trading resilience. Regular email briefs and inbox updates keep leaders informed, and after this initial push the focus shifts from this core approach to expansion into other states.

Mark Kunar’s appointment: strategic priorities for North America

Recommendation: Today’s mandate for the NA region is to implement a three-pronged plan: agile execution across sectors, a refined stores-and-services mix, and profitability through aligned roles and targeted investments. This plan makes a tangible impact on margins and speed to market.

Organizational alignment: Further, tighten hierarchy and establish a single inbox for critical updates to directors, enabling faster decision cycles and a clear place for accountability. This shift was announced to the directors.

Partnerships and capacity: From today, leverage a 30-year horizon to guide investments, with kenco as a key partner and a focus on innovation in shipping and services. It oversaw a significant shift in the supplier and carrier matrix to support three sectors.

Market signals and demand awareness: Analyze data from american consumers and global brands like shein to anticipate peaks, then implement three capacity hikes in peak periods and flexible stocking at stores. This approach makes inventory more responsive and reduces obsolescence.

Leadership and governance: Create a lean, agile leadership team where roles are clearly defined, and where retiring executives are replaced by successors aligned with this new hierarchy. Directors share updates via a unified report to the inbox; this step reduces latency and improves profits tracking.

Operational focus: Prioritize shipping efficiency, inventory velocity, and service coverage across stores and regional distribution centers, with a target to lift the most profitable lines and improve cross-border flows. Maintain a party momentum in the early rollout while governance remains robust.

People and culture: Emphasize continuous learning, cross-functional collaboration, and metrics aligned with the functional model to sustain momentum beyond the initial rollout.

KPI and reporting: Three primary metrics will guide progress: service levels, quarterly profit trends, and the share of services in revenue; all reported to the directors via a concise, standardized report from thompson and wilson.

Communication, continuity, and escalation plans for stakeholders

Publish a concise stakeholder brief by 10:00 today outlining continuity commitments, escalation routes, and named contact points across sectors and trading partners. This document anchors all updates and reduces impacted ambiguity for associates and customers alike.

• Stakeholder mapping and contact matrices
  • Identify associates at all levels likely impacted by the change; segment arrays by sector and market to align communications.
  • Define escalation contacts for customers such as amazon and key suppliers; include alternates and clear handoff criteria.
  • Maintain a single source of truth for roles and responsibilities; refresh quarterly, with ad hoc updates as needed today.
• Continuity tenets and service level commitments
  • Three core tenets: clarity, speed, and accountability; use them to evaluate every update and decision.
  • Offer reliable, consistent experiences by preserving core process SLAs; if gaps appear, communicate compensating actions and timelines.
  • Define level of service by market and segment; specify thresholds for disruption and actions to restore service quickly.
• Operational actions and technology enablement
  • Short-term actions: reallocate capacity, prioritize high-value orders, and validate contingency routes; collect data to justify changes.
  • Immediate steps: left today to activate alternative routes; add mcfs software, adding technologies to monitor throughput in real time.
  • Longer-term evolution: expand analytics, automate routine tasks, and evolve the process with new technologies that improve efficiency and resilience.
• Escalation matrix and cadence
  • Level 1: on-site leads and associates respond within minutes; publish dashboards with current status and next steps.
  • Level 2: regional leadership coordinates cross-functional teams across sales, operations, and risk; target three-hour response windows.
  • Level 3: executive oversight by president and a cross-sector committee; if necessary, escalate to the board and key external partners including major customers and regulators.
• Communication channels and cadence
  • Daily quick briefs for impacted associates and frontline leaders; ensure consistent messaging across sectors and trading partners.
  • Hourly updates during disruption; synchronize content to avoid mixed signals.
  • Weekly summaries for all stakeholders including companies in the market and key partners; track progress against ideal recovery timelines.
• Stakeholder engagement, roles, and accountability
  • Assign named owners (e.g., armstrong, thompson) for each critical area; articulate responsibility and decision rights.
  • Provide a clear offer of options and expected timelines to customers, associates, and suppliers; include fallback plans.
  • Track metrics: impacted rate, on-time delivery, order fill, and incident resolution time; publish as a leadership metric for three months.
• Documentation, training, and continuous improvement
  • Maintain updated process maps for mcfs and related technologies; provide accessible quick-reference guides for associates.
  • Incorporate learning loops to evolve the tenets based on outcomes and feedback; allow frontline teams to propose changes.
  • Plan regular drills to test escalation triggers and ensure readiness to continue operations under stress.
• Progress visibility and ongoing evolution
  • Documented milestones will mark progress and help leaders over time to expand scope; this adds clarity to the three-month projection and beyond.
  • Industry benchmarks across sectors and trading partners will inform the ideal response, while maintaining focus on continue delivery and customer trust.
  • Weekly reviews will assess how the plan evolves, ensuring the company can adapt to market shifts and maintain strong relationships with amazon, other companies, and partners.