DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist of DHL Group, has appointed Sascha Geiken as CEO for Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa, effective. He succeeds Egidio Monteiro and will report to Tobias Maier, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa.
Sascha Geiken previously served as Vice President Ocean Freight for Middle East and Africa at DHL Global Forwarding. He brings more than 30 years of experience in freight forwarding, having started his career in the industry in 1995. Before joining DHL Global Forwarding, he held senior leadership positions in the Middle East, including managing director roles covering several markets in the region.
Read more: DHL Express revenue up nearly 20 percent year on year in Q3
During his time leading Ocean Freight across Middle East and Africa, Sascha Geiken has gained extensive experience managing freight flows across a diverse and complex region. His current remit includes global trade, ocean freight trends and services, rates, capacity and trade-lane development, as well as sustainable transport. He has also worked closely on the changing trade flows connecting Africa with Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Tobias Maier, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa, 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. I am very pleased to have Sascha take on this responsibility, and I am confident he will continue to move our business forward together with our teams across the region.”
Read more: DHL marks 35 years of operations in Poland
On his appointment, Sascha Geiken said: “I’m very happy to take on this new role. Having worked across Middle East and Africa for many years, I know both the opportunity in Sub-Saharan Africa and the realities of moving goods across the region. 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. I look forward to working with our teams across the region and building on what is already a very strong foundation.”
The appointment comes as DHL continues to invest in the long-term growth of its business in Africa. In 2025, DHL Group announced an investment of more than €300 million in Sub-Saharan Africa to expand infrastructure and services across DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Supply Chain.
