Alcott Global is retained to search for a Managing Director, China (Freight Forwarding), to be based in Shanghai.

Role Purpose

The Managing Director, China will have full executive responsibility for establishing, leading, and scaling the company’s freight forwarding operations in China. This role carries full P&L ownership and is accountable for market entry, commercial growth, operational excellence, and building a high-performing organisation, playing a critical role in the company’s ambitious global growth strategy.

Key Responsibilities

Country Leadership & Market Entry

• Provide overall leadership for the China organisation, acting as the senior country head and primary representative of the business in the market
• Lead the end-to-end establishment of the freight forwarding operation in China, ensuring full regulatory, licensing, and compliance readiness
• Define and execute the China market strategy in alignment with global and regional objectives
• Build strong relationships with carriers, strategic partners, regulators, and key industry stakeholders
  

Commercial & Sales Leadership

• Drive significant revenue growth across air, ocean, and multimodal freight services
• Own and execute the China commercial strategy, including customer segmentation, pricing, and key account development
• Personally manage senior client relationships and complex commercial negotiations
• Build a sustainable and scalable sales engine to support long-term growth
• Strengthen the company’s market position and brand presence across China
  

Organisation & People Leadership

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing China leadership team across sales, operations, and support functions
• Set clear performance objectives, KPIs, and governance structures
• Foster a performance-driven, customer-focused, and compliant organisational culture
• Ensure strong succession planning and talent development across the organisation
  

Operations & Network Integration

• Ensure operational excellence, service quality, and risk management across all China activities
• Implement and maintain robust SOPs aligned with global standards
• Integrate China operations seamlessly into the wider international network
  

• Drive continuous improvement in cost efficiency, service delivery, and customer satisfaction

Financial & Strategic Management

• Hold full accountability for China P&L, budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance
• Deliver sustainable profitability and long-term business growth
• Monitor performance against strategic and financial targets, implementing corrective actions where required
• Provide clear, structured reporting to regional and global leadership

Key Requirements

Experience

• 10+ years’ experience within freight forwarding or international logistics, with a strong commercial track record
• Proven senior leadership experience within China, ideally with responsibility for country or regional operations
• Demonstrated success in building or scaling freight forwarding operations, including greenfield environments
• Deep understanding of the China logistics market, regulatory framework, and carrier landscape
  

Skills & Leadership Capabilities

• Strong commercial and strategic mindset, balanced with hands-on execution
• Proven ability to lead large, multi-functional teams
• Excellent negotiation, stakeholder management, and decision-making skills
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing full P&L responsibility

Language

• Fluent in Mandarin and English

Why This Role

• This is a rare opportunity to take full ownership of a strategic China operation within a globally expanding freight forwarding business, with the mandate, scale, and autonomy to build a market-leading organisation.

Alcott Global is partnering with a leading logistics infrastructure company to search for a Managing Director, to be based in India

Role Purpose

The MD is responsible for driving operational excellence, commercial growth, infrastructure optimization, and regulatory compliance while maintaining high service standards.

The MD will define and execute the strategic direction for the business, guiding the organisation through its next phase of growth, expansion, and transformation. This role partners closely with the Board and senior leadership to translate market insights, regulatory dynamics, and customer needs into a clear and actionable growth roadmap.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Business Direction

• Define and execute the long-term vision and multi-year strategic roadmap for the business.
• Identify and drive expansion opportunities
• Evaluate new growth corridors, partnerships, investments, and acquisitions.
• Provide strategic direction to strengthen market positioning and long-term competitiveness.

Operational Excellence

• Oversee end-to-end operations, ensuring safety, efficiency, and service quality.
• Drive improvements in productivity, turnaround times, capacity utilisation, and cost optimisation.
• Ensure robust SOPs, governance frameworks, and risk management systems across all facilities.
• Lead infrastructure project execution within timelines and budgets.

Commercial Growth & Financial Performance

• Own full P&L responsibility, driving revenue growth, profitability, and capital efficiency.
• Lead customer acquisition, retention, and relationship management across key stakeholders.
• Ensure disciplined capital allocation and investment decisions.
• Deliver sustainable financial performance and shareholder value.

Regulatory, Governance & Compliance

• Navigate complex regulatory environments including customs, port authorities, and trade compliance.
• Maintain strong relationships with government and regulatory bodies.
• Ensure adherence to all statutory, safety, environmental, and compliance requirements.
• Establish strong governance and risk management frameworks.

Market & Industry Insight

• Monitor evolving business trends and competitive dynamics.
• Leverage insights to drive innovation, digital adoption, and future-ready strategies.
• Strengthen integrated capabilities and service offerings.

People Leadership

• Build and lead high-performing leadership teams across operations, commercial, finance, and compliance.
• Drive a culture of accountability, customer centricity, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Lead talent development, succession planning, and organisational capability building.

Key Requirements:

• 25+ years of experience in infrastructure and transportation sectors
• Proven leadership experience in managing large-scale, asset-heavy operations.
• Demonstrated track record in driving growth, operational excellence, and infrastructure expansion.
• Strong financial, commercial, and strategic acumen.
• Experience working with regulatory bodies and managing compliance frameworks.
• Ability to lead complex, geographically distributed teams.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinking and execution excellence
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving capabilities
• Customer-centric mindset
• Innovation and transformation orientation
• Ability to lead change and build scalable organisations