Dive Brief:
- J.B. Hunt has named Shelley Simpson as its next president, effective Aug. 1, the company announced Thursday.
- Simpson, who will replace current president John N. Roberts, III, has served as J.B. Hunt’s chief commercial officer since 2017. Roberts will stay on as the chief executive officer and a member of the J.B. Hunt Board of Directors.
- “As I take on this new role, I remain committed to empowering our people to continue to disrupt, adapt and accelerate, and fiercely focused on driving value for our customers,” Simpson said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
Simpson’s career at J.B. Hunt spans 28 years, including most recently as chief commercial officer and executive vice president of people and human resources.
As chief commercial officer, Simpson led the strategic direction of the newly launched J.B. Hunt 360° supply chain solution when its Marketplace component to connect shippers and carriers opened in 2017. She also served as president of the company’s Highway Services business as part of her role.
“Over her tenure at J.B. Hunt, Shelley has worn multiple hats across our business, bringing a data-driven, experienced-based approach to every area she has led,” Roberts said. “If you look at the most disruptive areas of our company, from new technologies to global commercialization to investments in our people, Shelley’s innovative leadership has always guided us toward positive results.”
Simpson started at the company in 1994 as a management trainee after graduating from the University of Arkansas. In 2007, she was named president of Integrated Capacity Solutions. She became chief marketing officer in 2011 and was named president of the company’s TL business segment president in 2014.
Brad Hicks, current president of Highway Services, will take on additional responsibilities as executive vice president of people, JB Hunt said in the statement. Spencer Frazier, most recently senior vice president of sales, will become executive vice president of sales and marketing.
