CHEP appoints Xavier Garijo to newly created CEO Americas position

CHEP, a leader in supply chain solutions including pallet pooling, has announced the appointment of Xavier Garijo as the CEO of Americas effective Jan. 1, 2024, following the announcement that CHEP North America’s president, Laura Nador, left her role on Dec. 31, 2023.

Paola Floris, President of CHEP Latin America, and Frank Bozzo, Vice President and General Manager of CHEP Canada and Pallecon North America, will continue in their current capacities and report directly into Garijo.  

Garijo brings 25 years of experience managing global consumer good supply chains and operations, and multi-industry global logistics businesses. He was most recently a Global Executive Board Member for Contract Logistics at DB Schenker, a leading German logistics provider. He was responsible for the global contract logistics business, which had a workforce of 40,000 people in 60 countries. Prior to that, Garijo worked in the U.S. and Europe, for 20 years, including managing end-to-end supply chains and operations for Revlon as Chief Supply Chain Officer and in roles of increasing responsibility with Reckitt Benckiser and Unilever. 

In this newly-created position, Garijo will lead the Americas region combining the previously separate CHEP North America and CHEP Latin America business units. This change reflects the increasing collaboration and interconnectivity between CHEP’s North American and Latin American operations and will help further serve CHEP’s customers and retail partners across the globe.  

“I am delighted to be joining Brambles as it progresses its digital transformation to ensure ongoing, profitable growth and strengthen further our customer value proposition,” said Garijo. “The business has a vital role in supply chains, which, combined with its leading approach in sustainability, provides an exceptional foundation for continued success. I look forward to working with our internal teams, customers and vendors to drive value for all stakeholders.” 

As the Americas region continues its transformation, the organization is grateful for the strong contributions Laura Nador, CHEP North America’s former president, delivered in driving operational and safety excellence as well as her care for CHEP’s people and customers.  

“Xavier is well positioned to build on Laura’s legacy and successes to serve the market needs of today and the future,” said Graham Chipchase, CEO at Brambles, CHEP’s parent company. “As the Americas region moves into this new era, Xavier’s extensive experience in global supply chains and commercial management across the fast-moving consumer goods and logistics industries make him a fantastic choice to elevate the business and lead growth.” 

CHEP is known for pallet and container reuse under a model known as ‘pooling’ and primarily serves the fast-moving consumer goods (e.g. dry food, grocery, and health and personal care), fresh produce, beverage, retail and general manufacturing industries. CHEP employs approximately 11,500 people and believes in the power of collective intelligence through diversity, inclusion and teamwork. CHEP owns approximately 353 million pallets, crates and containers through a network of more than 750 service centers. As part of the Brambles Group, CHEP operates in 60 countries with its largest operations in North America and Western Europe.