July 19 - Freight industry veteran Terry Walpole has been appointed as chairman of Bellville Rodair Global, parent company of the BRI Group of companies, effective immediately.

Walpole was formerly Group CEO and has spent more than 30 years in the freight industry, working in Asia, North America and Europe for a number of multinational forwarders.

He has been instrumental in the growth of Bellville Rodair International. Since its origins in 1982 in London and 1996 in Toronto, BRI now employs some 200 people in 20 locations around the world. In 2009, sales exceeded USD 110 million.

Walpole says: "There has probably never been a bigger test of the forwarding industry's commitment to customer care than during these recent times. BRI is constantly striving to add value to our clients' supply chains, working with them to find solutions in areas where improvements can be made."

Bellville Rodair continues to focus on niche business, with specialist divisions dedicated to automotive, energy and high fashion trades.