At the Cargo Network Services (CNS) Partnership Conference 2019 yesterday, PayCargo LLC, operator of a web-based payment platform for freight and logistics, announced the appointment of Lionel van der Walt as its President and CEO, the Americas. Prior to joining PayCargo, van der Walt served in a variety of positions, including CEO and EVP at IIBEC, president at CNS, Area Head of the Caribbean at IATA and as a board member of PayCargo. In the new position, van der Walt will oversee PayCargo’s operations in the Americas, as the company continues its global expansion.
The lag in progressing beyond analog practices and move to digitalized processes has been an ongoing challenge facing the airfreight industry. For example, van der Walt told Air Cargo World that air cargo industry providers have been very slow to adopt the electronic Air Waybill (e-AWB).
“Within the next year or two we are going to see disruptive change and if companies are not prepared, they may be surpassed by others,” van der Walt said. While changing from legacy systems is difficult and upper management at combination carriers often overlook their air cargo operations, companies will need to update their processes or be left behind. CNS, the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) and the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFFA) have been good custodians and a driving mechanism for change, he said, but it really relies upon the companies themselves to update their processes. Those companies that make the effort to adopt changes will become industry leaders…
