- Push-out Score determined
- After less than a year and a half in the position
- Praise, thanks and good wishes for Easter
- Jonathan Shepko taking over in the interim
- Search for a successor
- Easter said 124 words
(exechange) — Addison, Texas, January 5, 2021 — Chris Easter, chief executive of Daseke, leaves. As announced by Daseke Inc. in a news release and in a regulatory filing published on Tuesday, January 5, 2021, Christopher R. (Chris) Easter has left his post as chief executive officer of the flatbed and specialized transportation and logistics company after less than a year and a half in the role, effective December 31, 2020.
Daseke will undertake a search for a successor.
Chris Easter’s duties as CEO will be taken over in the interim by Jonathan Shepko, currently Cofounder and Managing Partner of Stonehollow Capital Partners, as Interim Chief Executive Officer.
Already a director
Shepko is already a director of Daseke. Generally speaking, most director-turned-CEO appointments occur following a sudden resignation of the outgoing CEO and signal a lack of preparedness on the company’s part to groom internal talent. Directors-turned-executives represent a blend of outsider and insider.
They don’t have the constraints of a pure insider when it comes to leading painful changes or making unpopular decisions, and they have more company knowledge than a pure outsider.
Having been a director, Shepko understands the expectations and dynamics of the board and has knowledge of Daseke’s organization, risk-management practices and strategy.
“I have a number of family-related obligations that need my full attention”
Chris Easter’s departure from the CEO post is explained as follows. Easter said: “This has been a very difficult decision for me personally, but I have a number of family-related obligations that need my full attention. As a result, I made the decision to retire from Daseke at the end of the year.”
Precise information regarding Chris Easter’s future plans was not immediately available.
“Retired”
Daseke said: “Christopher Easter has retired as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors, effective December 31, 2020.”
Daseke further said: “On December 30, 2020, Christopher R. Easter notified the Company of his retirement as Chief Executive Officer and director of the Company, effective December 31, 2020.”
Share price increase since January 2020
The announcement follows an increase in Daseke Inc.’s share price of 80% since January 2020.
Chaired by Brian Bonner
Brian Bonner serves as Daseke Inc.’s Chairman.
Bonner has served as an independent director and member of the Company’s board of directors since February 2015, and as Executive Chairman from August 2019 until August 2020.
In the position of CEO since 2019
Chris Easter became CEO of the Company in 2019.
Christopher Easter has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Daseke, Inc. since February 2020 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Company in February 2020.
Easter also continues to serve as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer, a position he has held since January 2019.
Easter had previously been serving as the Company’s interim Chief Executive Officer since August 2019 and as the Company’s principal financial officer from September 2019 to April 2020.
Prior to joining the Company in January 2019, Easter served as Senior Vice President Americas at Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean and Solutions, a privately owned shipping company, a position he held since September 2018, and as President of Keen Transportation at Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (“Wallenius”), a shipping company, from December 2017.
Before its acquisition by Wallenius in December 2017, Easter served as CEO and President of Keen Transport, Inc. (“Keen Transport”), beginning in August 2012.
Keen Transport is a specialized transportation, warehouse, and logistics company focused on serving the industrial equipment market.
Easter has also served in various roles with Schneider National, Inc. and Walmart Inc., where he was responsible for overseeing the transportation of goods from around the world.
Easter received his bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and served for more than eight years in the United States Army.
His service included deployment during Operation Desert Storm where he led logistics teams and was awarded the Bronze Star.
Push-out Score determined
The Push-out Score™ determined by exechange gauges the pressure surrounding Chris Easter’s move on a scale of 0 to 10.
exechange reached out to Daseke and offered the company the opportunity to comment on the score.
Read the full story in the exechange report 2.2021 ($).