Portal - March/April 2021
Industry News
APPOINTMENTS
Rene van Valen Announced as General Manager of Gerson Relocation BV

In January 2021, Rene van Valen joined Gerson Relocation, where he will take on the role of General Manager for the Netherlands. Van Valen joins at a very exciting time; Gerson Relocation BV recently acquired Dijkshoorn, and he joins to lead both companies in the local and international markets.
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Rene’s relocation industry career spans 25 years, during which time he has held senior roles in the corporate, consumer and commercial sectors of the relocation industry. Today, Rene continues to act as a FIDI Netherlands Board Member, while also sharing his knowledge as a FIDI Academy trainer. Prior to joining Gerson Relocation BV, he was International General Manager of Van der Ent Group for four and a half years.
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“Having previously worked with Paul Evans and others at AGM Group,” van Valen said, “I am looking forward to leading from the front and truly setting the pace for the growth of Gerson Relocation BV and Dijkshoorn; being part of the continuous growth of AGM Group with a focus on The Netherlands is a great honor to me; I’m thrilled to be part of the wider AGM Group team and look forward to working with old friends and making many new friends in 2021.”
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Paul Evans, AGM Group Chairman and Russell Start, AGM Group Managing Director commented, “We are very excited to open Gerson Relocation‘s new EU-based center in the Netherlands. We are equally excited to welcome Rene van Valen to our team. Rene, who we have worked with for many years, brings a wealth of industry experience and knowledge that will be invaluable as we continue to grow and develop Gerson Relocation within the AGM Group.”
Airforwarders Association Welcomes Dennis Mitchell to its Board

Lynden International Senior Vice President Dennis Mitchell has been elected to the board of The Airforwarders Association (AfA).
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“Dennis is a highly respected member of the AfA who was selected by our membership for a board position. His skills and expertise in the transportation industry will help guide the AfA in its ambitious agenda toward continued success,” says Brandon Fried, AfA Executive Director.
National Van Lines Names Mark Doyle President

National Van Lines announces the promotion to President of Mark Doyle, a relocation industry veteran whose involvement with National Van Lines began more than 35 years ago. Mark has performed various roles during his career, including Agency Recruiter, Sales Director, Agency Owner and General Manager, and has served as Executive Vice President since 2018.
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“Mark consistently produces positive results in all areas for which he is responsible,” National Holding Co. CEO Tim Helenthal said. “He’s very sales- and customer-focused, and is committed to using data and process improvement to deliver the best moving service to our customers, agents and service-provider community. He’s the right person to help National Van Lines navigate the challenging consumer and corporate marketplaces while developing a deep, diverse and robust team of service partners.”
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“I’m honored to be offered this opportunity as President for a company with such a rich and historic tradition,” Mark said. “I’m also humbled in this regard, as I’m following two legendary leaders in this industry: Tim Helenthal and retired National Van Lines Chairman and CEO Maureen Beal. I’m committed to the success of the company for its employee-owners, agents, drivers and customers. I accept and look forward to the challenge presented to me.”
Stephen Crooks, President of SFC Global Consulting, LLC, Accepts Expanded Role with Arpin Group

Arpin Group announced that Stephen Crooks has expanded his commitment there to executive consultant, continuing a storied career that began at Arpin in 1992. Crooks will have responsibility for overseeing Arpin’s commercial division and will continue to mold this portion of the company for the post-pandemic world by increasing the use of technology and systems, among other things.
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“It was great reuniting with Steve, after so many years, in October of last year,” said Peter Arpin, executive vice president of Arpin Group, Inc. “Right away, as a trusted consultant, he fit into our talented global team and quickly made a difference for AIG in a difficult year. Steve is extremely bright and talented, as he has shown for many years in many places. His experience in building brands across the globe, while delivering great customer service to all clients, fits perfectly with Arpin’s history, mission, and passion. There is no one whom I would trust more to lead our well-known and respected Commercial division.”
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“I’m very happy to be back at Arpin in such an important role and look forward to working with Peter and the management team to help Arpin continue to build upon their rich and dynamic history,” said Crooks.
New Managing Director and CEO for Alfa Quality Moving

The Alfa Scandinavia Board of Directors announces that Annika Roupé has been appointed as the Managing Director of Alfa Quality Moving Sweden as well as CEO of Alfa Scandinavia. Roupé has extensive leadership experience from large internationals as well as smaller corporations such as Ericsson, Stanley Security, Lernia, Ventelo, and more. Her areas of expertise are management, sales and marketing, business development, and business transformation and digitalization.
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“I am excited and honored to have the opportunity to lead the Alfa Group to the next level,” Roupé said. “I look forward to getting to know our customers and in cooperation with them, continue to develop and expand our offering as part of our strong ambition to grow. A major strength of the Alfa Group is the fact that we are established in all four Nordic countries, and I will focus my leadership on leveraging this strength as well as continue and expand the great growth journey already started.”
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The board of Alfa Scandinavia welcomes Annika Roupé to the Alfa Group. The board would also like to thank Kenneth Egelrud for a long and solid time as the leader of Alfa Quality Moving.
National Van Lines Names Paul Gregory Assistant VP of Sales

National Van Lines has promoted Paul Gregory to the newly-created position of Assistant Vice President of Sales. In his new role, Gregory will help oversee the continued development of sales within the company’s agent network and secure new signings.
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A National Van Lines family member for 20+ years, Gregory most recently served as Director of Sales Development–Western Region for nine years. He worked at competing van lines for nearly a decade before becoming a National Van Lines agent in 1999 and eventually being named an award-winning agent.
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“Paul has demonstrated his sales acumen by training and developing some of the largest agents in the National Van Lines network,” National Van Lines President Mark Doyle said. “His skill sets in this arena are comprehensive and have also positively impacted our own internal sales assets. This promotion is a direct result of his leadership display and results-oriented approach to our business.”
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“My goal when I came to National Van Lines was to help the agents,” Gregory said. “That has not been lost on me during the past 12 years. Help comes in many ways and I enjoy the journey with the agents. National has allowed me to grow and never shy away from my thoughts or ideas to keep helping. We have a long history, but it’s the future that is exciting.”
John Alianello Named President and Chief Operating Officer at MiniMoves

MiniMoves, Inc. has announced the promotion of John Alianello to the dual role of President and COO of MiniMoves, an interstate household goods carrier providing consumer, corporate, military, and senior moving services.
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“Since joining MiniMoves in 2012 as our Executive Vice President, John has been instrumental in building our nationwide network, refining our service processes and ensuring that we deliver consistent quality outcomes for our customers,” said Jack Arslanian, Founder and CEO. “John is trustworthy, dedicated and highly qualified in this role. He is an integral part of who we are as a company. The promotion is well-deserved.”
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Alianello has been in the household goods moving industry for over 35 years. He has held executive positions in several disciplines, and has served as a Board Member of the American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA), on the Council for California Moving & Storage Association (CMSA), and a member of the International Association of Movers.
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“I am honored to have the opportunity to guide our company to its next chapter of success. For thirty years, we have been the preeminent leader in small shipment services, but the future has so much more in store for MiniMoves, for our customers and for our service network. I am excited about where we’re headed as a company and about the team we have assembled to get us there,” said Alianello.
Bobby Bartle Promoted to Role of General Counsel with Aires

Aires is pleased to announce the promotion of Bobby Bartle to the role of General Counsel. In this new role, he will lead the legal function at Aires by providing legal advice to the entire organization as well as key stakeholders and executives.
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Aires Executive Vice President Joleen Lauffer said, “Since joining Aires in 2014, Bobby has taken on successive responsibilities as a client-facing immigration attorney and then as the director of Aires’ immigration department. He has continued to broaden his knowledge and responsibilities, and we are excited as he moves into a lead legal role with Aires.”
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Bobby holds the Global Mobility Specialist designation from Worldwide ERC and is a licensed attorney. “I am thrilled and humbled for the opportunity to represent Aires’ legal interests in this new role,” said Bartle. “Aires is a prime example of a company that has become an industry leader while conducting business the right way and in full legal compliance. I look forward to helping uphold those standards as General Counsel.”
Pushkar Palande Joins CSS Group

Pushkar Palande, a relocation and international moving professional with two decades in the relocation and commercial business in UAE, has joined the CSS Group relocations division, known as CSS Homeward bound.
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In the current COVID environment, Palande’s goal is to differentiate the CSS Group in an environment saturated with movers, working to help customers and clients with modern technology and a personal touch in all aspects of relocation business.
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CSS Group will continue to support their network partners by offering the best services for all their needs within the UAE, with quality being the key ingredient. The expertise of their staff assures that CSS Group will continue to serve as a one-stop shop for all activities within the region, and is the reason they have been a local leader in freight services for the last 25 years.
CapRelo Hires Jack Craven to Grow Mobility Business with Multinational Companies

CapRelo has hired industry veteran Jack Craven as vice president of Business Solutions. Craven will be responsible for the development of successful business relationships with leading multinational companies and guiding them through the mobility management process.
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“Jack has a wealth of industry experience and leadership, and we welcome him to the CapRelo team. He will play an integral role in helping position CapRelo for growth,” said CapRelo President and CEO Barry Morris.
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Craven has more than 30 years of experience in the global mobility and expatriate management industries, including strategic positions in operations, account management, consulting solutions, and business development. As a trusted advisor in business-to-business service relationships, he has a wide-ranging background in global workforce mobility. Most recently, he served as vice president of strategic business solutions for Cartus, where he managed the Midwest sales territory.
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As a noted top new business producer and industry thought leader, Craven is a frequent speaker at regional, national and global workforce mobility forums. Also, while serving on numerous Worldwide ERC and regional relocation committees, he received Worldwide ERC’s Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his long-term commitment to the advancement of the relocation industry.