C.H. Robinson has appointed Scott Anderson, chair of its board of directors, as interim chief executive officer after Bob Biesterfeld stepped down from his role as president and chief executive officer on 31 December 2022.

The board has commenced a search for a new permanent CEO and has retained executive search firm Russell Reynolds to assist in the process of identifying internal and external candidates.

With Anderson’s appointment as interim CEO, Jodee Kozlak will become independent chair of the C.H. Robinson board.

C.H. Robinson has also made changes to the membership of the Audit Committee and Governance Committee so that these committees remain composed solely of independent directors, and appointed Kermit Crawford the chair of the Governance Committee.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank Bob for his many important contributions over the past three years as CEO and his 24 years with C.H. Robinson,” said Anderson. “Since joining Robinson in 1999, Bob has played an important role in positioning C.H. Robinson for long-term success, most recently leading the company through a challenging period, which included Covid-19 and dealing with supply chain disruptions. We wish him all the best.”

Anderson added: “I am honoured to take on the role of interim CEO and am committed to ensuring this will be a seamless transition for all C.H. Robinson stakeholders. Now is the right time for C.H. Robinson to accelerate our strategic initiatives and the board is focused on identifying a CEO successor who can execute on the opportunities ahead for Robinson. I look forward to working closely with our talented employees to continue to improve our customer and carrier experience, and scale our digital processes to foster sustainable growth.”

Biesterfeld commented: “It has been a privilege to lead C.H. Robinson and this exceptional team. I am proud of all that we have achieved together, and it has been a pleasure working with so many talented members of the team throughout the organisation during my tenure as CEO. I am confident that C.H. Robinson’s industry leading people and culture will continue to ensure that the company is well-positioned for the future.”