Elanders Taps Bergen Logistics CEO to Spearhead Global Operations

Elanders has named Charles Ickes as its first-ever Group Chief Operating Officer (COO), a move aimed at aligning its global logistics and supply chain systems under a unified, AI-enhanced operational framework. Ickes, who currently leads Bergen Logistics—an Elanders-owned U.S. subsidiary—will now take on the dual mantle of Group COO while continuing in his CEO role at Bergen.

Why does this matter? Because the $1.3 billion (approx.) global supply chain player is signaling it's ready to modernize at scale. With clients increasingly demanding fast, data-transparent, and sustainable logistics solutions, Elanders’ choice of a seasoned operator with digital chops reflects an industry-wide urgency to evolve.

Bridging Strategy with Systems

The newly established role gives Ickes the mandate to harmonize tech infrastructure and push AI and data-driven decision-making across Elanders’ Supply Chain Solutions division. That includes integrating platforms, optimizing logistics workflows, and likely rethinking how warehouses and delivery ecosystems are monitored, forecasted, and managed.

CEO Magnus Nilsson called Ickes “central in building a unified, technology- and AI-driven logistics platform with global reach.” Translation: The company wants to move faster, think smarter, and shed operational silos—and Charles Ickes is the man to do it.

Elanders’ AI Inflection Point

The timing tracks with a broader logistics trend: legacy supply chains are finally getting their digital upgrades. Giants like DHL, GXO, and Maersk have already begun investing heavily in predictive analytics, robotics, and AI-powered route optimization. Elanders’ appointment of a COO who already scaled Bergen Logistics—especially in high-demand sectors like fashion and e-commerce fulfillment—suggests the company is ready to compete on intelligence, not just infrastructure.

For a company with operations in over 20 countries, Elanders’ next phase depends on turning fragmented networks into a single, data-fueled supply chain brain. Ickes will be tasked with making that happen—efficiently, and at global scale.