DHL Global Forwarding has announced the appointment of Henk Venema as its new Executive Vice President for Global Airfreight, reinforcing the company’s focus on strengthening reliability, service quality and operational performance across its global air cargo network.
The appointment was confirmed by Oscar de Bok, Chief Executive Officer of DHL Supply Chain, who highlighted Venema’s extensive experience across airfreight operations, capacity management and commercial execution as a key asset to the organisation’s global ambitions.
Venema brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in the forwarding and logistics sector, having held senior roles at Exel, UTi Worldwide, Geodis and within DHL. His career spans global network management, customer solutions, and large-scale operational leadership.
Prior to his global appointment, Venema successfully led DHL’s Benelux operations, where he further strengthened his credentials in regional leadership, commercial strategy and end-to-end supply chain execution. His promotion places him among the top operational leaders within DHL’s forwarding division.
Oscar de Bok said Venema’s appointment would play a critical role in driving DHL’s airfreight strategy forward, enabling the company to “deliver consistently, act with speed and create real value for customers” in an increasingly demanding global air logistics environment.
The move comes at a time when freight forwarders continue to face heightened pressure to ensure reliability, visibility and performance across complex global transport networks, driven by volatile market conditions, capacity shifts and evolving customer expectations.
With Venema at the helm of its global airfreight organisation, DHL Global Forwarding aims to further enhance its operational resilience, service excellence and long-term competitiveness across international air cargo markets.