Alcott Global is retained to search for a Managing Director, Japan for a Global Transportation Leader.

Role Overview

Our client, a leading global transportation and logistics company, is seeking an experienced Managing Director, Japan to lead its business operations, commercial strategy, and overall performance in the Japanese market.

The role carries full P&L accountability, with a strong emphasis on driving commercial growth, strengthening customer relationships, expanding market share, and ensuring operational excellence. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and executing the country strategy in alignment with regional and global business objectives.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong background in sales and commercial leadership, combined with proven general management capabilities, financial acumen, and the ability to lead cross-functional teams in a competitive and evolving transportation market.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the overall Japan business, with full accountability for P&L performance, revenue growth, profitability, operational efficiency, and organizational effectiveness.
• Develop and execute the country commercial strategy to drive sustainable business growth, increase market share, and strengthen the company's competitive position in Japan.
• Drive sales performance, business development, and key account management, ensuring strong customer acquisition, retention, and long-term strategic partnerships.
• Build and maintain relationships with major customers, strategic partners, industry stakeholders, and relevant regulatory authorities.
• Identify new business opportunities, market trends, and growth initiatives across the transportation and logistics sector.
• Provide strategic direction and leadership across commercial, operations, customer service, finance, and other key business functions to ensure alignment with country objectives.
• Oversee financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance management to achieve revenue, profitability, and operational targets.
• Lead, develop, and strengthen the Japan leadership team, fostering a high-performance, customer-focused, and commercially driven culture.
• Ensure operational excellence, service quality, regulatory compliance, and effective risk management across the country organization.
• Collaborate closely with regional and global leadership to align local business priorities with broader corporate strategies and initiatives.
• Represent the company in Japan, maintaining strong relationships with customers, industry associations, business partners, and other external stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Maritime Studies, or a related discipline. An MBA or equivalent qualification is an advantage.
• Extensive leadership experience within the shipping, transportation, logistics, or related industries, with a strong track record in sales, commercial management, and business development.
• Proven experience leading commercial teams, driving revenue growth, developing customer relationships, and expanding market presence.
• Demonstrated P&L management experience or significant financial and commercial accountability, with a strong understanding of profitability, budgeting, and business performance.
• Experience in a country leadership, general management, or senior commercial leadership role, with the capability to oversee cross-functional business operations.
• Strong knowledge of the Japanese transportation and logistics market, including customer dynamics, competitive landscape, and industry trends.
• Established relationships with key customers and industry stakeholders, with the ability to develop and maintain strategic business partnerships.
• Strong commercial acumen, strategic thinking, negotiation skills, and the ability to translate business opportunities into measurable financial results.
• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams, influence stakeholders, and operate effectively within a regional and global matrix organization.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage effectively across different organizational levels and cultures.

Alcott Global is partnering with a leading ports and terminals organisation to search for a Chief Operating Officer, based in the United States.

The organisation operates a diverse portfolio of marine terminal assets, encompassing container and non-container operations across multiple cargo categories. This is a senior executive leadership opportunity for an experienced ports and terminals professional with a proven track record of managing complex, large-scale maritime operations, including deep-sea container terminals, conventional cargo and multi-purpose terminal facilities.

Role Purpose

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will provide strategic and operational leadership across a diversified portfolio of port and terminal assets, with responsibility for driving operational excellence, safety, productivity, financial performance and sustainable growth. The role requires a leader with extensive experience in container terminal operations as well as multi-category cargo handling, including bulk, breakbulk, Ro-Ro, automotive, project cargo and other conventional cargo segments.

The successful candidate will combine strong commercial and financial acumen with hands-on operational expertise, the ability to lead geographically dispersed operations and experience managing complex stakeholder environments.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Excellence & Financial Performance

• Lead operational performance across container, conventional cargo and multi-purpose terminals, ensuring high standards of safety, productivity, service and efficiency.

• Drive P&L performance, budgets, forecasts, cost management, asset utilisation and capital planning across multiple operations.

• Champion regulatory compliance, risk management and continuous improvement across the portfolio.

• Identify opportunities to improve operational performance through process optimisation, technology and best practices.

2. Commercial Growth & Stakeholder Management

• Develop and execute strategies to drive revenue growth, profitability and long-term customer relationships.

• Build strong relationships with shipping lines, customers, port authorities, labor representatives and government agencies.

• Support commercial negotiations, pricing strategies, capital investments and business development opportunities.

• Identify opportunities to strengthen operational capabilities and expand the business.

3. Strategic Leadership & People Development

• Translate business strategy into operational priorities, performance objectives and measurable outcomes.

• Build and develop high-performing leadership teams across multiple sites, fostering accountability and collaboration.

• Oversee workforce planning, talent development and succession planning while managing employee relations both in unionised and non-unionised set ups.

• Partner with corporate functions to ensure consistent execution, organisational effectiveness and adoption of best practices.

Desired Candidate Profile 

• An accomplished maritime operations executive with 15+ years of industry experience, including significant leadership responsibility within large-scale port and terminal businesses.

• Knowledge of deep-sea multi category terminal operations is essential, complemented by practical experience across diversified cargo-handling environments.

• Exposure to multi-purpose and non-container terminals, including bulk, breakbulk, Ro-Ro, automotive and project cargo operations.

• Demonstrated ability to oversee a portfolio of terminal assets, balancing operational efficiency, financial performance and customer service across different locations.

• Strong understanding of the U.S. maritime and port operating landscape, including industry dynamics, labor frameworks and regulatory requirements.

• Experience navigating complex workforce environments, building constructive labor relationships and leading large operational teams. 

• Ability to combine commercial judgement with operational expertise, driving profitability, investment decisions, productivity and business growth.

• A forward-looking leader with experience implementing operational improvements, developing leadership capability and driving organisational change.

• Strong interpersonal skills with the credibility to engage effectively with customers, port authorities, business partners and senior stakeholders.

• Relevant academic qualifications in Maritime, Engineering, Business, Logistics or a related discipline; postgraduate education would be advantageous.

Alcott Global is working with a leading global ports and terminals organisation to search for a Chief Operating Officer, based in the Middle East.

Role Purpose

The Chief Operating Officer will lead the end-to-end operational performance of a strategically important gateway container terminal. Reporting to the CEO / Managing Director and forming part of the senior management team, the role will have responsibility for driving safe, reliable and efficient terminal operations while leading a large frontline workforce and managing a complex stakeholder environment. The position requires a hands-on operations leader who can combine operational excellence with strong people leadership, sound judgement and the ability to operate effectively within a culturally nuanced environment.

Key Responsibilities

1. Terminal Operations & Performance

• Lead the overall operational performance of the terminal, ensuring high standards across safety, service, productivity, quality and cost.

• Drive operational efficiency, reliability and continuous improvement across terminal activities.

• Ensure the terminal is able to respond effectively to changing volumes, customer requirements and operational priorities.

• Champion a strong continuous improvement mindset, leveraging Lean and operational excellence principles where relevant.

2. Frontline Leadership & Employee Relations

• Provide visible and hands-on leadership to a large frontline workforce.

• Build strong engagement across operational teams and reinforce a culture of safety, accountability and performance.

• Manage complex labour and employee relations, including engagement with unions / collective bargaining arrangements.

• Build trusted relationships while maintaining appropriate independence, fairness and sound judgement within a closely connected local environment.

3. Stakeholder & External Relations

• Build effective relationships with government authorities, port stakeholders, customers and other external partners.

• Navigate the requirements of a gateway terminal with significant national and stakeholder visibility.

• Work closely with senior leadership and other functions to ensure operational priorities are aligned with the wider business.

4. Operational Transformation & Digitisation

• Identify opportunities to improve processes, productivity and overall terminal performance.

• Support the continued integration of technology, digitisation and IT-enabled solutions into terminal operations.

• Drive sustainable operational improvements and build organisational capability for the future.

Desired Candidate Profile 

• Senior operations leader with significant experience in ports and terminals, ideally within container terminal / gateway operations.

• Strong track record leading complex, high-volume operations and large frontline workforces.

• Fluent Arabic and English language capability is essential, given the level of interaction with employees, authorities and local stakeholders. 

• Proven experience managing complex labour relations, unions and/or collective bargaining environments. 

• Strong stakeholder-management skills, with experience engaging government authorities and other external stakeholders.

• Exposure to continuous improvement / Lean / operational excellence, with a strong performance-improvement mindset. 

• Good understanding of technology and digitisation within an operational environment. 

• Culturally agile, resilient and comfortable operating in a highly relationship-driven environment.

• Strategic yet hands-on, with strong judgement and the ability to lead effectively in a demanding, high-visibility operation.

• Willingness to relocate to the Middle East is required.