AFRICA – DHL Global Forwarding has appointed Sascha Geiken as CEO for Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa, succeeding Egidio Monteiro.
Geiken previously served as Vice President of Ocean Freight for the Middle East and Africa and will report to Tobias Maier, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa, according to the company.
He brings more than 30 years of freight forwarding experience, having started his career in 1995 and held senior leadership roles in the Middle East, including managing director positions across several markets.
Execution focus and regional priorities
Geiken’s expertise spans global trade, ocean freight trends, rates, capacity, trade-lane development and sustainable transport.
He has worked closely on shifting trade flows linking Africa with Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Tobias Maier said: “Sascha knows our business, and he knows this region. He has spent many years working across complex markets and understands what it takes to turn growing trade flows into reliable solutions for our customers. Sub-Saharan Africa is an important growth market for us, but it is also a market where strong local execution really matters.”
Geiken said: “Trade is growing, but our customers need more than capacity. They need reliability across the entire supply chain, from the international leg through customs and inland transport to final delivery.”
Investment context
The appointment comes as DHL Group invests more than €300 million (US$347 million) in Sub-Saharan Africa to expand infrastructure and services across DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Supply Chain.
The appointment places an ocean freight specialist rather than a contract logistics executive at the head of the region.
That background aligns with the region’s principal constraint, where most Sub-Saharan African trade moves by sea, and ocean freight reliability determines whether inland networks function.
Geiken’s previous role involved managing capacity allocation and rate structures across Middle East and African trade lanes, experience directly applicable to securing space for African exporters on Asia-Europe and intra-African routes.
Meanwhile, the €300 million investment spans three DHL divisions, meaning execution requires coordination across express, forwarding and contract logistics operations, which have historically operated on separate infrastructure.
Ultimately, whether that investment translates into faster customs clearance and more reliable inland transport depends on how the region’s leadership aligns these divisions around shared corridor priorities rather than pursuing separate network expansions.
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