Dive Brief:
- ABF Freight President Seth Runser will be promoted next month to president of the LTL carrier’s parent company, ArcBest, the company announced Thursday.
- Runser will join Judy McReynolds, who will retain her roles of CEO and chairman, at the helm of the company effective Aug. 1. Matt Godfrey, ABF Freight’s VP of engineering, will succeed Runser as president of the 100-year-old LTL carrier.
- In the announcement, McReynolds said Runser has led the carrier to record results and enhanced profitability and operational efficiency. “His deep knowledge of the business, innovative spirit and commitment to advancing ArcBest’s mission and strategy make him the right person to succeed me as president,” she said.
Dive Insight:
The promotion follows a trend in trucking of splitting the president and CEO roles traditionally entrusted to one executive. Handing off the president’s baton can choreograph a succession plan and reward a deserving leader while maintaining stability in the corner office.
Werner Enterprises and Prime Inc. have also promoted presidents from within while retaining their chief executives this year. Among ABF Freight’s LTL competitors, Estes Express Lines has a similar org chart.
Carriers’ reasoning for divvying up the roles “depends on the company and the situation,” McReynolds told Trucking Dive in an interview for an article about the trend in February.
In the interview, McReynolds noted Runser’s job as president of ABF Freight. Larger companies with subsidiaries will often organize their leadership structure by naming presidents of each business unit, she said.
“There are times whenever that makes sense,” McReynolds said. “But a CEO, in my opinion, is really a role designed for somebody who has ultimate responsibility for what they’re doing.”
McReynolds, one of just a handful of women chief executives in the trucking industry, has led ArcBest as president and CEO since 2010. Runser, ABF Freight president since 2021, has been with the company for 17 years.
Godfrey, the flagship LTL’s next leader, has been VP of engineering since 2021 and is a 20-year company employee.
“He has guided our optimization efforts, which have increased capacity and delivered value for customers, and he deeply understands the ABF network, our strategy and our Quality Process,” McReynolds said.
