Organizational and Commercial Growth Strategies for Today's Market Panel
In an era of market fluctuations, rapid technological advancements, and changing customer expectations, organizations must adopt innovative growth strategies to stay ahead. This panel will dissect the critical components of successful organizational and commercial growth, providing actionable insights tailored for organizational and commercial leaders in the logistics sector.
We will explore:
- Growth strategies that work across segments, verticals, and niches
- Building a go-to-market approach that delivers your desired results
- Aligning your commercial talent with your strategy
Join Bob Willert, CEO at Tighe Logistics, Josh Allen, CCO at ITS Logistics, and moderator Chris Kolquist, President at Koliway, for insights on future-proofing your organization and accelerating commercial success.
About Bob
Panelist
Bob Willert is the CEO of Tighe Logistics Group, specializing in third-party logistics, e-commerce fulfillment, and warehousing. With a Bachelor's degree from the University of Buffalo, he has extensive experience in retail operations, distribution centers, and merchant services.
Previously COO at RBW Logistics and a 16-year veteran of Barrett Distribution Centers, Bob is renowned for transforming underperforming operations into high-performing ones. His expertise in organizational and commercial growth drives teams to execute at higher levels, establishing strong employee buy-in.
About Josh
Panelist
Josh, the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of ITS Logistics, is a seasoned logistics expert with over two decades of experience. He has held pivotal roles at XPO Logistics (now RXO) and played a key part in the rapid growth of a Silicon Valley tech startup in industrial ecommerce.
At ITS Logistics, Josh leads the company's aggressive growth strategy, leveraging a service portfolio that features North America's #19 asset-lite freight brokerage, the #12 drayage and intermodal solution, a top 50 dedicated fleet, an innovative cloud-based technology ecosystem, and a nationwide distribution and fulfillment network.
About Chris
Moderator
Throughout his career, senior executive and strategic leader Chris Kolquist has been a catalyst in driving commercial growth, positive financial results, and maximum shareholder value in challenging and hyper-competitive markets. He has built a noteworthy reputation for understanding investments, delivering ROI objectives, managing massive change, and building highly effective cultures.
In 2021, Chris launched Koliway LLC, an investment and advisory firm specializing in investments, M&A transactions, board service, and advisory executive logistics work. In this role, he advises boards and executive leadership teams on achieving strategic objectives and maximizing shareholder value. Leveraging his success in the logistics industry, he serves as a valued and respected advisor, helping logistics leaders to effectively manage change and define strategic direction. Koliway has made numerous investments in the private lower middle market. Chris has also served and currently serving as Board Advisor across various logistics companies.
Before establishing Koliway LLC, Chris was asked by the executive leadership of C.H. Robinson to serve as President of Freightquote in Kansas City, Missouri, following their acquisition of the company in 2015, in a deal valued at $365 million. In that role, he provided the strategic vision, guidance, and leadership leading to 2X EBITDA growth in four years, positioning Freightquote as the fastest-growing commercial region within the C.H. Robinson North America network. In addition, he directed the development and launch of a leading-edge e-commerce self-serve product, providing customers with faster, empowered services and competitive pricing, while strengthening Freightquote’s bottom line.
Prior to being named President at Freightquote, Chris was Director of Corporate Development at C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. There, he built the Corporate Development function across divisions and regions worldwide, including the processes for all merger, acquisition, and divestiture activities. He personally closed 17 transactions representing $1.7 billion of total purchase price, including the two largest acquisitions in the company’s history (Phoenix International, Inc. and Freightquote).
From 2001 to 2004, Chris served as Finance Manager for Information Technology and Senior Financial Analyst for Corporate Finance at Best Buy, where he provided insight and support to IT leadership and provided acquisition support for the two largest acquisitions the company had ever made, totaling $800 million (Musicland Group and Future Shop, Ltd.).
Chris began his career with Arthur Andersen, where he served as Senior Auditor from 1998 to 2001, conducting audits, M&A transaction support, and financial due diligence for buy-side and sell-side clients. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1998 and obtained his CPA license in 2001 (now inactive)