Kuehne+Nagel “streamlines” reporting structure to boost agility

Swiss freight forwarder Kuehne+Nagel is “streamlining” its org-chart by getting rid of its regional manager-based structure and directing its remaining mid-level executives to report directly to its board of directors, saying the shift will strengthen “customer proximity” and give it the agility to adapt to rapidly changing market conditions.

The new direct reporting of the country organizations will also set a course for further efficiency gains and profitable growth, the company said today. To get there, the historically-evolved regional structure will be discontinued and responsibilities integrated into Kuehne+Nagel's Group functions. The Cluster and National Managers will report directly into the Management Board of Kuehne+Nagel International AG, the company said.

Kuehne+Nagel did not say whether the change would bring any layoffs. The company currently has some 81,000 employees at almost 1,300 sites in close to 100 countries.

“With the discontinuation of the regional management levels, the Kuehne+Nagel Group is streamlining its organisational structure and creating the conditions for further efficiency gains, to be able to act even faster and more flexibly in an increasingly dynamic global trade environment,” Joerg Wolle, chairman of Kuehne+Nagel International AG, said in a release.