GEODIS

Nashville and Wilmington, Mass. [August 25] – GEODIS, a leading global transport and logistics provider, and Locus Robotics, the leader in autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for fulfillment warehouses, today announced a new expansion agreement to deploy a total of 1,000 LocusBots at GEODIS’ worldwide warehouse locations over the next 24 months. This represents one of the industry’s largest AMR deals to date.

“As we continue to navigate industry-wide challenges such as skyrocketing e-commerce demand and labor constraints, it is crucial we remain committed to implementing the most innovative and effective robotics automation solutions available into our warehouses to allow us to best serve our customers,” said Eric Douglas, Executive Vice President of Technology and Engineering at GEODIS in Americas. “Locus’ collaborative multi-bot approach has proven its effectiveness and reliability at each of our sites, giving us the ability to easily scale performance while providing a safe, smart working environment for our teammates. This new expansion agreement reinforces our clear and ongoing commitment to cutting-edge technology to meet our exploding customer volumes globally.”

GEODIS has currently deployed Locus AMRs at 14 sites around the world, serving a wide range of retail and consumer brands, including warehouses in the U.S. and Europe. The agreement will expand that footprint significantly as new sites are deployed.

“Locus’ built-in flexibility, scalability and fast ROI are helping GEODIS to consistently meet and exceed their global customers’ expectations,” said Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “This strategic expansion enables GEODIS to meet the needs of today’s high-growth warehouses and we look forward to continuing to work together to drive operational efficiencies and growth.”

GEODIS and Locus Robotics first began partnering together in 2018 at an Indiana site, allowing the global third-party logistics company to implement Locus’ innovative technology into its operations to support its workforce with the complex picking process. Since then, the Locus Solution has provided improvements in productivity, flexibility and agility while enhancing the workplace environment for teammates by reducing tedious, repetitive tasks to increase retention across sites, ultimately allowing GEODIS to enhance its operations and best meet evolving customer needs.

With the explosion of e-commerce and the ongoing labor shortage, adding robotics automation has become a critical, strategic need to meet customer demands. LocusBots help GEODIS e-commerce warehouses efficiently manage order picking and inventory replenishment, significantly increasing throughput to speed delivery processes. LocusBots significantly reduce unproductive walking time, eliminate maneuvering heavy manual carts through warehouses, lower the physical demands on employees, and improve workplace ergonomics and quality.

To learn more about Locus Robotics, visit www.locusrobotics.com. To learn more about GEODIS, visit www.geodis.com.

About Locus Robotics

Locus Robotics’ revolutionary, multi-bot solution incorporates powerful and intelligent autonomous mobile robots that operate collaboratively with human workers to dramatically improve piece-handling productivity 2 – 3x, with less labor compared to traditional piece handling systems. This award-winning solution helps retailers, 3PLs, and specialty warehouses efficiently meet and exceed the increasingly complex and demanding requirements of fulfillment environments, easily integrating into existing warehouse infrastructures without disrupting workflows, instantly transforming productivity without transforming the warehouse. In 2021 Locus Robotics ranked 428 on the Inc. 500 and was named as Forrester’s AMR Company of the Year. For more information, visit www.locusrobotics.com.

About GEODIS
GEODIS is a global leading transport and logistics provider recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport), coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a global network spanning nearly 170 countries, is reflected by its top business rankings: no. 1 in France and no. 7 worldwide. GEODIS employs over 44,000 people globally and generated €10.9 billion in revenue in 2021. Learn more at www.geodis.com.

GEODIS, a world leader in transport and logistics, today announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire the American company, Need It Now Delivers. The acquisition will enable GEODIS to significantly increase its presence in the United States in the areas of contract logistics and last-mile delivery. The acquisition will also consolidate GEODIS’s position as one of the world’s ten leading logistics providers.

Marie-Christine Lombard, CEO of GEODIS, commented: “The acquisition of Need It Now Delivers is a key step through which we will strengthen and diversify our offerings in the U.S., providing our customers with a global and integrated end-to-end freight network in the United States, from international transport to last-mile delivery. This new acquisition represents an important milestone as we continue to progress on our strategic plan, Ambition 2023.”

Need It Now Delivers operates an expansive domestic road freight network with more than 65 company locations and 300 distribution points, providing strong national coverage, particularly in the eastern United States. To offer its customers complete port-to-door logistics solutions, the company specializes in distribution, last-mile delivery, and in multi-channel contract logistics across a wide range of high-growth industry verticals. Owned in part by management along with the private equity fund Palm Beach Capital, the New Jersey-based company employs approximately 2,000 people and is expected to reach revenues close to $750 million in 2022.

“Our U.S. supply chain business has consistently grown over the last 10 years,” said Mike Honious, GEODIS in Americas President & CEO. “With the services, capabilities, and the leadership team of Need It Now Delivers, we will expand our offerings and support the growth strategies of our customers.”

This acquisition will strengthen GEODIS’s American footprint and e-Commerce services portfolio, with customers able to benefit from the Group’s expertise in end-to-end supply chain expertise in freight forwarding, road transport, contract logistics and last-mile delivery.

Eric Mautner, CEO of Need It Now Delivers, said: “Since our inception in 1987, Need It Now Delivers has scaled rapidly to position ourselves as an industry leader with a special focus on omnichannel and last-mile delivery. Together with GEODIS, our teams can continue to build upon this momentum to provide customers with a more expansive network of flexible, efficient and reliable services that will ultimately allow us to successfully meet projected industry dynamics such as continued e-Commerce growth and increasingly complex supply chains that require the need for omnichannel capabilities.”

Once the transaction is completed, the GEODIS group will employ roughly 15,000 people across more than 200 locations in the U.S and exceeding 17,000 in the Americas. The combined organizations of GEODIS and Need It Now Delivers would have generated $3.7 billion for full year 2021 in the U.S.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory review and approvals, which are expected to be obtained by end of 2022. Both companies will operate as independent businesses and run their operations as usual until that time.

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a global leading transport and logistics provider recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport), coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a global network spanning nearly 170 countries, is reflected by its top business rankings: no. 1 in France and no. 7 worldwide. GEODIS employs over 44,000 people globally and generated €10.9 billion in revenue in 2021.

PHOTOGRAPHS:

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• Growth of 34% in revenues at €6,748 million, at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation, compared to the first half of 2021
• A sharp rise in EBIT[1]: an improvement of 53% to €309 million compared to the first half of 2021, reflecting the dynamism of the business and strict cost control in an inflationary environment
• GEODIS remains in control of its debt (financial leverage close to 1x[2])
• GEODIS has exceeded the goals of its Ambition 2023 plan, thereby demonstrating the relevance of its business model
• GEODIS has confirmed its ambition for growth in an uncertain environment

Commenting on the first half results for 2022, Marie-Christine Lombard, CEO of GEODIS, said:

“In a turbulent global context, GEODIS has confirmed its capacity to generate profitable growth. In the first half of 2022, the Group achieved revenues of €6,748 million, an increase of 34% by comparison with the previous year. 

These good results demonstrate the relevance of our growth model and allow us to press ahead with our strategy of targeted acquisitions as we seek to build a global, integrated network of transport and logistics hubs.

I would like to thank our customers for their confidence, and our teams for their ability to implement solutions to deal with the disruptions that have affected the global supply chain.”

The first six months of 2022 reflect the success of GEODIS’s transformation and the relevance of its integrated growth model

• A sharp rise in revenues and profitability

Revenues showed solid growth of 34% at €6,748 million, driven by all activities and in particular by Freight Forwarding.

This sustained increase was achieved in a context of extreme tension in maritime and air transport, reflected in high freight rates and shrinking market volumes. In this context, GEODIS continues to grow and gain market share.

Contract Logistics continues its rapid development, particularly in the United States, because of the growth in e-Commerce.

The Road Transport Line of Business enjoyed a good level of volumes in France and other countries.

The Distribution & Express Line of Business continues to be driven by the development of e-Commerce in France.

Overall, this dynamic growth resulted in a significant increase in profitability, with EBIT increasing by 52% to €309 million and EBITDA standing at €598 million.

• An ongoing strategy of targeted acquisitions

GEODIS remains committed to building a comprehensive range of services for managing its customers’ flows, with the construction of a global and integrated network of transport and logistics hubs.

In this perspective, the acquisitions in 2021 of PEKAES in Poland and of Gandon Transports and Transports Perrier in France have been followed by that of Keppel Logistics, which will strengthen GEODIS’s presence in the contract logistics sector in Asia-Pacific, more particularly in Singapore.

GEODIS, fully committed to ESG initiatives

• A greener fleet

With the ambition of achieving a 30% reduction in its CO₂ emissions by 2030 (compared to 2017), GEODIS is pressing ahead with the greening of its fleets of vehicles.

An additional 120 natural gas vehicles have been ordered, bringing the number of trucks ordered powered by bio-CNG (compressed natural gas) for last-mile deliveries in city centers to 320. In addition to a reduction of up to 80% in CO₂ emissions compared to a Euro VI-E diesel vehicle, emissions of both particulates and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) are as much as 85% lower.

Meanwhile, GEODIS has teamed up with Renault Trucks to develop a new electric truck specially designed for urban logistics.

• Rail-route solutions

A leading player in multimodal transport, GEODIS continues to expand its network in Europe with a new rail line connecting France and Italy. 

• A prize for environmental performance

At the Voluntary Commitments to the Environment Awards 2022, the Group’s Road Transport Line of Business won a trophy for the best progress and was praised by ADEME (the French environmental and energy management agency) for its commitment to reducing its CO₂ emissions.

• Changes to the Group’s governance include the appointment of three new members to the Executive Committee: Celeste Thomasson, as the Group’s General Counsel with responsibility for Legal Affairs, Insurance, Compliance and Audit; Pascale Dubois, as Executive Vice President, Group Communications and Brand; and Laurent Melaine, as the Group’s Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer. 

GEODIS is focused on maintaining its position in the context of inflation and economic slowdown. The group’s short-term outlook remains positive.

The performance of GEODIS operations is good across all Lines of Business and geographical sectors. Nonetheless, the level of macro-economic uncertainty remains high, with the repercussions of the public health crisis in China, inflationary trends, and significant pressure on maritime capacities, among other phenomena.

Link to accompanying image : https://geodis.keepeek.com/b859xVaLU

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a global leading transport and logistics provider recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport), coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a global network spanning nearly 170 countries, is reflected by its top business rankings: no. 1 in France and no. 7 worldwide. GEODIS employs over 44,000 people globally and generated €10.9 billion in revenue in 2021.

[1] Post-IFRS 16 EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Taxes) consists of revenues and related income minus operating expenditure.

[2] Net financial debt / EBITDA over the past 12 months (excluding IFRS 16).

Laurent Melaine has been appointed as GEODIS’ Executive Vice President, Commercial and Marketing. He is a member of the Executive Committee, reporting to Marie-Christine Lombard, Chief Executive Officer.

Laurent Melaine, 56, began his career at Transports Graveleau and then Dachser, holding various business development and site management positions.

He joined GEODIS in 2011 as Key Account Sales Director for the Distribution & Express business, joining its executive committee in 2013. In 2018, Laurent Melaine was appointed International Sales Director, managing, among other things, key account customers, international development and chartering.

Promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial and Marketing officer as of July 1, 2022, he joins the GEODIS Management Board. He will be responsible for leading the sales and marketing teams in order to develop the Group’s business volume.

Laurent Melaine graduated with a Master of Economics (Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University) and has a postgraduate degree in International Business and Strategy (Audencia). He also completed the GEODIS Executive Leadership Program in partnership with the Harvard Business School.

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a global leading transport and logistics provider recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport), coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a global network spanning nearly 170 countries, is reflected by its top business rankings: no. 1 in France and no. 7 worldwide. GEODIS employs over 44,000 people globally and generated €10.9 billion in revenue in 2021.

GEODIS, a global leader in the transport and logistics sector, finalized its acquisition of Keppel Logistics after obtaining regulatory approvals. This transaction consolidates GEODIS’ Contract Logistics footprint and e-Commerce fulfillment services in Asia-Pacific and particularly in Singapore.

Based in Singapore, Keppel Logistics is a Contract Logistics specialist with close to 500 employees. Active throughout Asia-Pacific, Keppel Logistics (ranked in the top 5 contract logistics players in Singapore) operates circa 200,000m² of warehouse space across Singapore, Malaysia and Australia, which will complement GEODIS’ existing high-tech facilities, including its chemical, ambient temperature and temperature-controlled storage.

“We are pleased to welcome Keppel Logistics’ customers, employees and management to the GEODIS Group,” announced Marie-Christine Lombard, Chief Executive Officer of GEODIS. “The acquisition of Keppel Logistics marks a key milestone in GEODIS’ Asia-Pacific ambition, increasing our Contract Logistics footprint and e-Commerce fulfillment services in Singapore and Asia-Pacific.”

The new combined capabilities will deliver holistic supply chain services to customers. In particular, this acquisition will bolster both B2C and B2B e-Commerce channel management offerings, integrating Keppel Logistics’ fast-growing UrbanFox platform in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam with GEODIS’ own controlled airfreight network as well as its robust sea freight, and road transport connections across Asia-Pacific, ensuring that customers in every corner of the region will be able to seamlessly transport goods to and from most parts of the globe.

This acquisition will provide GEODIS’ customers with end-to-end logistics solutions, from warehousing to last mile delivery as well as proprietary software centralizing inventory across multiple channels to overcome short fulfilment lead times, handle high volumes of orders during peak seasons and elevate their go-to-market strategy. 

“This is truly a significant step in our continued expansion in Asia-Pacific and will certainly take our digital omnichannel capabilities to the next level, ensuring that we can go above and beyond to support our customers in responding to the growing e-Commerce opportunity, even in today’s complex supply chain ecosystem,” said Onno Boots, President and CEO of GEODIS in Asia-Pacific. “I look forward to working closely with Keppel Logistics and embarking on our shared goal of providing innovative, reliable, and efficient solutions that add remarkable value to our customers’ growth.” 

This acquisition is a significant step along GEODIS’ strategic roadmap for the Asia-Pacific region, where GEODIS now employs 4,200 people spread over 85 sites.

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a global leading transport and logistics provider recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport), coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a global network spanning nearly 170 countries, is reflected by its top business rankings: no. 1 in France and no. 7 worldwide. GEODIS employs over 44,000 people globally and generated €10.9 billion in revenue in 2021.

GEODIS, a global leading transport and logistics services provider, today announced the appointment of Eddie Chang as its new Managing Director for Malaysia. With over 25 years of experience in the logistics sector, Chang will be responsible for leading GEODIS’ growth in Malaysia, a market that continues to play a key role in the company’s multi-modal network across Southeast Asia. 

Chang, who was previously Managing Director of Tigers Global Logistics and subsequently, Director at JAS Worldwide in Malaysia, will leverage his extensive experience in both air and sea freight, warehouse operations, Contract Logistics, and e-Commerce fulfilment to expand GEODIS’ client base, especially in key verticals including automotive, industrial and high tech. 

With ongoing plans in place to bolster GEODIS’ highly integrated transport solutions, Chang will also be taking the reins to further advance Malaysia’s capacity as a hub connecting the company’s owned controlled flight network with its road transport services that currently connects Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam via Kuala Lumpur. The company’s rapidly expanding multi-modal network is a key strategic accelerator for its growing presence in the region.

“Eddie’s passion for driving customer-centric results, his vast experience in the field and proven track record of success will take GEODIS’ capability for innovation to new levels,” said Lakshmanan Venkateswaran, Sub-Regional Managing Director, Southeast Asia.  “As Malaysian customers look to prioritize supply chain resilience in the near future, we are confident that Eddie’s leadership will enhance GEODIS’ efforts to stay at the forefront of adopting growth opportunity and industry developments.”

“I am honored to step into this role and look forward to working closely with the team on purpose-driven solutions in Malaysia.  These will under-line our commitment to providing industry-leading services to our customers.” said Chang. “GEODIS, a rapidly growing powerhouse in Asia and Malaysia has shown a great deal of potential to contribute significantly to the company’s regional expansion.”

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a global leading transport and logistics provider recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport), coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a global network spanning nearly 170 countries, is reflected by its top business rankings: no. 1 in France and no. 7 worldwide. GEODIS employs over 44,000 people globally and generated €10.9 billion in revenue in 2021.

The new 3-year partnership aims to carry out the annual inventory of a site located in northern France, thanks to the innovative GEODIS Countbot solution, designed in partnership with Delta Drone. 

The patented solution is the result of more than three years of R&D and testing; it is totally secure and also guarantees the protection of goods and people (CE certification). GEODIS Countbot consists of a robot, 16 high-resolution cameras, a mast that can reach a height of 10 m and a drone that ensures the stability and hence the quality of the images collected.

Romain Cauvet, Director of Engineering for the GEODIS Supply Chain Optimization Line of Business, said: “The entire operation will be completed in only two 6-hour sessions. The GEODIS Countbot enables us to provide an exhaustive snapshot of the stocks and to supply HD visuals should any discrepancy arise between the inventory and the WMS (Warehouse Management System). All parts of the operation are carried out without any interruption to activities in the center.”

Following early trials, Ludwig Cresson, Flow Manager at L’Oréal, commented: “We are always on the lookout for innovative solutions that improve the efficiency of our processes, our service to our customers and our employees. With this new solution, our teams have seen an improvement in these inventory operations, which will generate considerable time savings.”

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a global leading transport and logistics provider recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport), coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a global network spanning nearly 170 countries, is reflected by its top business rankings: no. 1 in France and no. 7 worldwide. GEODIS employs over 44,000 people globally and generated €10.9 billion in revenue in 2021.

Global leading transport and logistics provider GEODIS and KNAPP, a technology partner for intelligent value chains, today announced a new collaboration to implement more than $80 million in advanced automation technology into two omnichannel fulfillment centers on behalf of a leading retailer. This marks the third project between the two companies, bringing GEODIS’ 12-month investment with KNAPP to over $130 million as it continues its commitment to implementing the industry’s latest automated technologies into innovative solutions for its clients to best meet today’s service demands.

Designed in strong collaboration with GEODIS, KNAPP and the leading retailer, the two fulfillment centers—located on the East and West Coast in the U.S.—will feature highly automated storage, picking and packing technologies. The technologies are designed to provide next-generation fulfillment strategies to support the retailer’s complex e-Commerce and retail operations while increasing overall supply chain efficiencies. Following the technology implementation, the combined fulfillment centers are expected to move over 270,000 units per day across its total of more than 850,000 square feet of operations.

“This particular client required a technology solution that could offer an extremely efficient fulfillment process far beyond what traditional methodologies can provide,” said Eric Douglas, Executive Vice President of Technology and Engineering at GEODIS in Americas. “By closely collaborating with KNAPP, we were able to create a fully customized solution featuring industry-leading technology that will allow us to provide a completely integrated offering to best support this customer’s unique needs. Our new investment with KNAPP is the latest proof point in our clear commitment to sourcing and implementing the most innovative solutions into our clients’ supply chains to increase efficiency, agility and flexibility.”

The two fulfillment centers will include a unique combination of KNAPP technologies. Both sites will feature the OSR Shuttle™ Evo, an all-in-one automatic storage and picking system. The facilities will also include the use of multifunctional goods-to-person Pick-it-Easy Evo work stations along with Pick-it-Easy Robots, an AI-equipped robot designed to supplement manual picking stations. In addition, the facilities will include automated carton packing and auto-bagging technology. The sites will also feature various customized value-added services such as personalization in support of the client’s desire for a one-of-a-kind customer experience.

In support of GEODIS’ sustainability efforts, the solution utilizes technology that will reduce the size of shipping cartons to ensure consolidated freight requirements to ultimately contribute to a lower carbon footprint. In addition, the KNAPP OSR Shuttle™ Evo solution has provided a sustainably sourced and designed robotic system to ensure that the client is optimizing every facet of the supply chain to its fullest potential.

“The jointly developed solution between GEODIS and KNAPP is specifically designed to address both strategic initiatives and growth that is attributed to rapidly expanding e-Commerce demand,” said Jusuf Buzimkic, Chief Sales Officer at KNAPP. “The technology platform will reduce the challenge associated with labor availability and evolving customer service level expectations. The latest solution represents a balance of performance, flexibility and scalability to minimize the variable cost per order.”

The project is set to begin installation in early 2023. Phase one of implementation is expected to be complete in September 2023 ahead of peak season, with both facilities aiming to be fully completed in Q1 of 2024.

To learn more about GEODIS, visit www.geodis.com. To learn more about KNAPP, visit www.knapp.com.

Picture : https://geodis.keepeek.com/b4P057avC

Picture caption : KNAPP Pick-it-Easy Robot. Photo Courtesy of KNAPP

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a global leading transport and logistics provider recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport), coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a global network spanning nearly 170 countries, is reflected by its top business rankings: no. 1 in France and no. 7 worldwide. GEODIS employs over 44,000 people globally and generated €10.9 billion in revenue in 2021.

KNAPP – www.knapp.com

KNAPP is a global market leader providing intelligent intralogistics solutions and specialized software for production, distribution and point-of-sale. With over 6,300 employees worldwide, KNAPP delivers market-leading, innovative and custom-designed solutions in healthcare, retail, apparel, food, manufacturing, and e-commerce sectors. Our clients experience results that are flexible, resource efficient, ergonomic and self-learning. The company’s North American headquarters are in Atlanta, GA. For more information, visit www.knapp.com.

The France 2023 Organising Committee has announced that GEODIS, a global leading transport and logistics provider, has been appointed as Official Fret Carrier of the tournament.  GEODIS has therefore committed to provide bespoke logistics services with the target of having the lowest possible impact on the environment.

Drawing on its expertise, worldwide capabilities and infrastructure, GEODIS will be responsible for ensuring the efficient management of approximately 80 tons of equipment for the 20 participating nations. It will also meet the logistical needs of the thousands of volunteers involved throughout the tournament. GEODIS will be fully dedicated to the seamless delivery of this major international sporting event, across nine stadiums in 10 French host cities.

In accordance with the Group’s ambition to continuously reduce its CO₂ emissions by 2030, GEODIS will use low-carbon vehicles to achieve its mission. GEODIS is already committed to deploying such fleets in roughly 40 French cities between now and 2024.

Claude Atcher, France 2023 CEO, said: “From the start of the France 2023 project, we made our responsibility clear: to organise an event capable of minimising its impact on the environment, notably through the help of its partners. We are happy to share this ambition with GEODIS, a company that is both experienced in delivering international sporting events and committed to tackling environmental issues within its industry. We will work together to make Rugby World Cup 2023 a sustainable event, aligned with societal challenges of today and tomorrow.”

Marie-Christine Lombard, GEODIS CEO, said: “I am proud that GEODIS has been entrusted with the critical mission of being the Official Freight Carrier of Rugby World Cup France 2023. Team spirit, integrity, passion, discipline and respect are all values that characterise this sport and that we share at GEODIS. As the CEO of a French-rooted yet truly international group, I am excited for our teams to play a part in an event that brings so many people together and that gives France the opportunity to shine at an international level.”

ABOUT RUGBY WORLD CUP FRANCE 2023:

Rugby World Cup 2023 will take place in France from 8 September-28 October with matches played in nine venues across 10 host cities. The tournament will be the 10th men’s Rugby World Cup and the second to be hosted by France after a memorable event in 2007.

RWC 2023 will take place in a year when the sport celebrates 200 years since Rugby School pupil William Webb Ellis was credited with inventing the game of rugby football by showing “a fine disregard for the rules” in catching the ball and running with it in 1823.

RWC 2023 will set new standards in social responsibility, inclusion and sustainability for a major rugby event, targeting four key pillars for the tournament’s legacy: acting for sustainability and circular economy, supporting education, training and employment, respecting and protecting the environment and promoting inclusivity by being a champion for gender equality.

The showpiece event in men’s 15s, Rugby World Cup 2023 will feature 20 teams – 12 of whom qualified directly by finishing in the top three in their pool at Japan 2019 and eight from a global qualification process – with 48 matches played across 51 days.

ABOUT GEODIS:

GEODIS is a global leading transport and logistics provider recognized for its commitment to help clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimisation, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport), coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a global network spanning nearly 170 countries, is reflected in its top business rankings: no. 1 in France and no. 7 worldwide. GEODIS employs more than 44,000 people globally and has generated €10.9 billion in revenue in 2021.

More information on Geodis: www.geodis.com 

GEODIS, a global leading transport and logistics provider, announces the appointment of:

• Celeste Thomasson as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Group, supervising legal, insurance, compliance and audit 
• Pascale Dubois as Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications & Brand

Celeste Thomasson and Pascale Dubois join the Group’s Executive Board, strengthening the management team of Marie-Christine Lombard, Chief Executive Officer of GEODIS.

Celeste Thomasson began her career in 1992 as an associate at Baker & McKenzie in Los Angeles, before joining Fournier Laboratories in 1999. She joined the Safran group in 2002 as Legal Counsel. She was promoted to Senior VP and General Counsel for Safran USA in July 2008, before being appointed Vice President Legal Affairs. In January 2014, she joined MorphoTrak (a subsidiary of Safran) as President and CEO, becoming a board member of the Zodiac Aerospace in February 2018. Appointed CEO of Safran Seats UK in January 2019, she filled the roles of Executive Vice President, Corporate Secretary & President of the Ethics Committee for Safran group in 2020.

Celeste Thomasson holds a juris doctor degree from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles. She has been a member of the California bar since 1993.

Pascale Dubois began her career in 1985 as a journalist.

In 1989 she joined Compagnie du BTP as Deputy Communications Manager. In 1994 she became Head of Press Relations and Financial Analyst Relations at Euro RSCG Finances (Havas Group). At the Colas Group in 1996, she was appointed Internal Communications Manager, before becoming Head of Communications in 2000. May 2008 saw Pascale in the role of Head of Communications and Philanthropy at the Safran group and an Executive Committee Member in 2015.

Pascale Dubois has a Master’s degree in History and has completed a training course dedicated to female board members (Certificat Objectif Administratrice) at the EM Lyon Business School.

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a top-rated, global supply chain operator recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport), coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a global network spanning nearly 170 countries, is reflected by its top business rankings: no. 1 in France and no. 7 worldwide. In 2021, GEODIS employed over 46,000 people globally and generated €10.9 billion in revenue.