Fortna names Russell Meller as vice president, research and development

Russell Meller has been named vice president, research and development at Fortna, the global professional services firm that helps companies make distribution a competitive advantage. This newly created position will lead the development of tools and processes to drive efficient service delivery and more innovative solutions for clients.

Meller’s hire supports Fortna’s continued commitment to leadership in warehouse design methodology and engineering excellence. Meller will manage Fortna’s significant investment and continuous improvement in proprietary tools, such as FortnaDCmodeler®, FortnaDCconceptor™, FortnaDCdesigner®, and FortnaDCestimator™, that accelerate the design of distribution center operations. Fortna’s industry leading tools, methods and services provide an integrated solution that allows them to guarantee results on large distribution center transformation projects.

Prior to joining Fortna, Meller served as a faculty member in the engineering colleges at Auburn University, Virginia Tech and most recently, the University of Arkansas, where he held the Hefley Professorship in Logistics and Entrepreneurship. Notably, Meller led CELDi, the Center for Excellence in Logistics and Distribution, the largest applied research consortium in the U.S., comprised of six
universities and 25 commercial and government organizations.

“I am very excited to join the Fortna team. I believe that Fortna is in the best position to improve the science of warehouse design,” said Meller. “I look forward to working with the Fortna team to continue to drive innovation and results for clients.”

“Russ brings to Fortna deep industry knowledge and vision,” said John White, president of Fortna. “He is a great addition to our leadership team and will help us continue to improve the way we develop industry leading solutions that provide our clients competitive advantage.”