Job Description

 

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.

• 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

 

• Hold full accountability for China's 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:

• 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.