Although C.H. Robinson hasn’t officially named David Bozeman to be their CEO, I’ve received dozens of calls and messages on Signal Messenger from industry executives and members of the press asking me what I think of Bozeman possibly being named CEO.
The best way for me to answer the question is by reminding everyone that C.H. Robinson’s CEO search committee stated that they had specific requirements that the next CEO had to meet in order to be selected:
1. C.H. Robinson’s next chief executive must be capable of accelerating the company’s financial performance.
2. We seek an individual who is a sharp strategic thinker with a track record of maintaining profitability while successfully navigating a constantly changing global supply chain environment.
3. The new leader must also know when to pivot to avoid hurting the bottom line, based on the company’s current approach.
4. We seek a leader with extensive technology experience. A person well-versed in the technology platforms used by leading freight forwarding, ground transportation, and third-party logistics companies.
5. The new leader must be able to assess our company’s competitive position in the market; identify M&A and strategic partnership opportunities; identify our optimal operating model; outline the vision for a new and improved C.H. Robinson; and turn the vision into a reality.
Now let’s compare David Bozeman’s experience with the list of CEO requirements:
VP Ford Customer Services Division – 11 months
VP Amazon Transportation Services with a focus on middle mile services – 5 years 7 months
VP and SVP Manufacturing roles at Caterpillar – 8 years 6 months
Harley Davidson Motor Company; a variety of roles in power train and manufacturing – 16 years 9 months
✅ Some freight forwarding experience
✅ Some freight brokerage platform technology experience
✅ No experience as a CFO but does have some finance experience
✅ Some strategy experience
✅ Does have supply chain experience
✅ No prior COO, CEO, global consulting experience
Bozeman doesn’t meet all of the requirements to be the CEO. He is, however, well-liked and respected by the people who have worked with him over the years. I believe David can do the job and I hope he’s given the opportunity.
The team leading the CEO search, Jodee Kozlak, Scott P. Anderson, and Russell Reynolds Associates, must be aligned on the criteria. CH Robinson must do their best to hire an experienced CEO, or they must choose someone as CEO who is a leader and who can surround himself with talent to learn the role.
If offered the position, David Bozeman should definitely accept the CEO role. However, I strongly advise David to do the following if he does become CEO:
1. Bring in your own team. Surround yourself with people you can trust, who will tell you the truth, and who will watch your back.
2. Question everything at CHR.
3. Think BIG.
