Hans Günther Kersten, formerly UIC Freight Director, has been selected as Deputy Director General of FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations and has started his mission on June 1st, 2017.

Mr Kersten has been designated to succeed FIATA’s Director General and CEO Marco Leonardo Sorgetti this September, when he retires.

A true international personality, Hans Günther Kersten has studied Business Administration, Economics and Law at the University of Cologne, Germany. Besides German he speaks fluent English and French and has a good understanding of Spanish and Dutch. After obtaining his licence as a lawyer, Mr Kersten started his career as an associate at Oppenhoff & Rädler (later merged with Linklaters). For the last 18 years Hans Günther worked for Deutsche Bahn in various senior management positions, four and a half years of which seconded to the international railway association UIC in Paris, where he held the position of director of the freight department. In this capacity he had also had the opportunity to work together with FIATA, in its long standing cooperation with UIC, even before taking today’s central position in the association.

During a recent visit to the FIATA Secretariat in Glattbrugg, Switzerland, Hans Günther Kersten has expressed how honoured he felt about his nomination and that he was looking forward to the new and interesting challenges. He thanked Marco Sorgetti and the entire FIATA staff for their support, whilst pointing out that such a carefully planned transition was so far unique in his career.

Marco Sorgetti welcomed the arrival of his Deputy Director with unconcealed satisfaction: “Welcome to FIATA, he said to Mr Kersten, I am sure a person with your professional background will add another layer of accomplishments in the long list of extraordinary achievements of this association. There will be so much to share between the two of us; I am delighted we shall have some time to ensure that the passing of the baton happens in the most efficient and professional manner. I am looking forward to this cooperation that has started on the best of terms”.