© Reuters.
By Svea Herbst-Bayliss
NEW YORK (Reuters) – CH Robinson Worldwide, the largest US freight broker, is in advanced talks to name the former united package Service Inc (NYSE:) COO Jim Barber as chief executive after Bob Biesterfeld’s departure, two sources familiar with the discussions said.
Barber, who spent nearly 35 years working at the UPS package delivery company before retiring in early 2020, joined the CH Robinson board as a director late last year.
He would take the top job after Biesterfeld, who had been with the company for two dozen years and served as chief executive for three and a half years, was fired. A regulatory filing in early January described Biesterfeld’s departure as an “involuntary termination by the company.”
Barber could not be reached for comment and the company did not respond to a request for comment. The sources spoke about the CEO selection process on condition of anonymity to describe private discussions.
The company named Scott Anderson, who had been chairman of the company’s board of directors, as its interim chief executive officer. Search firm Russell Reynolds was hired to find a permanent replacement, and Anderson said he was not interested in the position, according to the document.
About a year ago, Ancora Advisors settled with the company, which is valued at $12 billion, for two board seats in exchange for not issuing a board challenge. As part of the agreement, the company agreed to form a strategic planning committee.
Last year, Reuters reported that Danish transport and logistics company DSV A/S was interested in buying the business unit of CH Robinson, which specializes in arranging international cargo transportation on behalf of carriers.
From the start, Barber has been seen as a strong CEO candidate, investors and industry analysts wrote in notes after he was appointed to the board. He spent several years as UPS’s president of international operations.
