Graham Martin Hands Over Leadership of Carousel to Jonathan Simpson-Dent

The service logistics specialist Carousel Logistics Ltd. is restructuring itself for the next growth phase of the company. The previous CEO and co-founder, Graham Martin, is handing over to Jonathan Simpson-Dent and will step back into the supervisory board, of which the new CEO Simpson-Dent will also be a member.

(Munich) The co-founder and CEO of Carousel Logistics, Graham Martin, has announced that he will step back from his operational duties as managing director. In the future, he will accompany the further fortunes of the service logistics specialist as a shareholder and non-executive member of the supervisory board. His designated successor in the position of CEO is Jonathan Simpson-Dent. As a former CEO of Cardtronics International and Williams-Lea-Tag Europe, Simpson-Dent has more than 20 years of experience as CEO of growth companies. In addition, he brings extensive experience in scaling service and technology-oriented B2B companies, both nationally and internationally, as well as serving as CEO of private equity portfolio companies. As CEO, Simpson-Dent will complete the supervisory board of Carousel, which already includes CFO Nigel Ward, CSO Kevin Turner, and time:matters and Liefery founder Franz-Joseph Miller as Chairman.

Three Decades of Success

During the last three decades, Martin has successfully guided the company through various growth phases. Since the involvement of the private equity investor Livingbridge in 2013, the group revenue has quadrupled under his leadership. In the last four years, Carousel has not only expanded its business activities into new European markets but has also made three strategic acquisitions. Martin currently sees the company at a crucial turning point: “Every founder knows that there comes a time when they must hand over the baton, and for me, the ideal moment has now come. I look back with great satisfaction at what we have achieved: building a strong foundation that enables Carousel to usher in the next growth phase,” says Martin.

Company Perfectly Positioned for Further Growth

Jonathan Simpson-Dent also sees the company perfectly positioned for further growth: “Graham Martin has built an extremely respected company with enormous potential in recent years. The success of Carousel is a testament to an unwavering focus on developing innovative solutions that provide measurable benefits to customers, as well as delivering exceptional services. My key priorities in my new role will be to support the company in realizing its true potential, to continue demonstrating a strong commitment to both the Carousel team and our customers, and to maintain Carousel’s good reputation for quality and care.”

Expansion of the Customer-Oriented Technology Platform ‘Gateway’

During his time as CEO, Martin has future-proofed the company by establishing a values-driven culture and building a strong team. Supporting further expansions has been crucial for him. Important steps on this path also included the expansion of the team with Franz-Joseph Miller in 2017, a leading expert in service logistics and now Chairman of the Board of Directors of Carousel, as well as the appointment of Nigel Ward as CFO in 2019. Martin and Miller have closely cooperated to prepare the company for long-term and continuous growth. In addition to professionalizing sales, the company has invested primarily in the expansion of its customer-oriented technology platform ‘Gateway’ over the past three years. With the transformation of the leadership team, the transition from founder to a professional management team is structured in such a way that the company’s expansion can continue while maintaining core values.

Milestone on Carousel’s Further Path

“Carousel is currently at an important milestone on its way to becoming one of the leading providers of technology-based service logistics in Europe. Therefore, this is a perfect moment for Simpson-Dent’s entry: as an ideal candidate, he not only possesses the necessary expertise in the international expansion of companies but also has extensive industry and transformation experience. His already intense commitment to the Carousel philosophy will secure our success on the further path and also preserve the values-oriented culture of the company,” Martin further explains. Chairman Franz-Joseph Miller summarizes: “Carousel is an excellent example of the successful interplay between private equity investors and a dynamic founder. The greatest concern of a founder is to ensure the future of their company with the right growth strategy and the appropriate team. With the appointment of a new CEO, we have perfectly positioned Carousel for future successes and the implementation of our ambitious growth goals. With Jonathan Simpson-Dent as CEO, we are well-equipped to meet the rapidly growing demand for technology-based service logistics across Europe.”
Photo: © Carousel Logistics / Caption: Graham Martin (left) hands over the management of Carousel Logistics Ltd. to Jonathan Simpson-Dent
www.carousel.eu