DIGITAL disruptor Cargo.One which, in just a few seconds, provides real-time airfreight price quotes and capacity confirmations via its e-bookings platform, has hired Lufthansa Group’s former head of analytics. Simson Demmer has become the ‘remote-first cloud-based company’s senior director of airline products, thereby further augmenting its management team.
With more than 10 years of experience in the aviation industry, and with extensive knowledge of airline operations including their technology and data infrastructures, Demmer will focus on the company’s ongoing development of data solutions and new product lines. These will assist Cargo.One’s partner airlines to expand their digital distribution capabilities and generate more business with lower operational costs explains a statement.
As head of analytics and business development for the network management division at Lufthansa Group, Demmer oversaw the digital transformation of one of the world’s leading airline groups. Furthermore, in his role as chief strategy officer at CargoLogicManagement, which provides management and sales services for Russia’s Volga-Dnepr Group’s all-cargo airlines, he pioneered digital bookings with Cargo.One in July 2019 for AirBridgeCargo (ABC) and for the UK-registered freight airline CargoLogicAir (CLA). He is also a former managing director of CLA.
Demmer says he is “truly excited” to be joining the innovative business at such an interesting point in its digital journey. “As one of their early customers, I was impressed by both the product and the team from the first time I encountered them and admire the growth and customer successes the company has been able to achieve over its dynamic first years,” he insists.
“Now, as Cargo.One’s airline product lead, I am looking forward to combining my industry experience with the team’s well-established product prowess and to collaborating with leading carriers to enable them to expand their digital footprint globally.”
Demmer’s appointment comes just weeks after Saudia Cargo became the 17th carrier to enter into an agreement with Cargo.One, a development that significantly expanded its footprint in the Arabian Gulf region. Under the Saudi agreement, capacity offered by the carrier’s airfreight division will, from the second quarter of 2021, be available electronically. Some 2,000 forwarders will then be able to instantly access Saudia Cargo’s capacity on routes to and from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the United States.
Other Cargo.One customers utilizing the platform include Air Canada Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo, Finnair Cargo, ABC, Etihad Airways, and All Nippon Airways (ANA). It also serves major forwarders including Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, Agility Logistics, DACHSER, and Flexport.
Cargo.One has enjoyed an extraordinary year of rapid growth in which the numbers who utilized the platform increased by 300 percent and individual booking numbers rose by more than 700 percent to 120,000 annually.
In the same period, the company raised US$60million in investment capital to expand into the North American and Asia regions and then hired software and technology specialist Chad Tibor as its new vice-president and general manager for airlines in the Americas region.
Oliver T Neumann, co-founder and managing director of Cargo.One, enthuses: “Bringing senior industry leaders like Simson Demmer into the team is another milestone for us as we continue to grow and expand our business. His unrivalled sector knowledge and deep customer expertise make him a trusted partner for teams across our business as well as for our airline partners.
“Having first-hand experience working with us as a customer on developing and building the digital distribution infrastructure for an airline, he is uniquely positioned to translate this knowledge into further innovative product developments in his new role at Cargo.One,” he adds.
