RANCHO DOMINGUEZ, Calif., Dec. 19, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- UTi Worldwide Inc. (Nasdaq:UTIW) today announced the promotions of Carlos Escario to president of client solutions and Ruediger Klug to president of solutions delivery, both for the Europe, Middle East and North Africa (EMENA) region. The two newly created positions support the company's realignment of its EMENA region into two integrated areas: client solutions and solutions delivery.
"The promotions and realignment demonstrate our continuing focus on the needs of our customers," said John S. Hextall, the executive leader of Americas Freight Forwarding and Europe. "The realignment streamlines the infrastructure of our growing organization in the EMENA region and better positions our global, regional and local teams to become even more engaged with our customers. The creation of these two regional president roles reflects the importance of both operational excellence and customer solution development at UTi and further cultivates a team environment that is integrated to best support our customers' needs."
Client solutions, led by Escario, will be comprised of teams focused on developing solutions for UTi's global and regional strategic customers. This team will be complemented by the solutions delivery team, headed by Klug, which will be responsible for ensuring that the company effectively implements these solutions at the operations level for UTi's customers. The solutions delivery team will also be responsible for delivering our services and solutions for freight forwarding, contract logistics, customs brokerage and distribution to all local customers.
All directors of client solutions, consultants, and all global and regional sales teams in EMENA will report directly to Escario. The EMENA functional teams, as well as the EMENA sub-regions and countries, will report directly to Klug.
About UTi Worldwide
UTi Worldwide Inc. is an international, non-asset based global integrated logistics company providing air and ocean freight forwarding, contract logistics, customs brokerage and other supply chain management services. The company serves a large and diverse base of global and local companies, including customers operating in industries with unique supply chain requirements such as the pharmaceutical, apparel, chemical, automotive and technology industries. The company seeks to use its global network, proprietary information technology systems, relationships with transportation providers and expertise in outsourced logistics services to deliver competitive advantage to each of its customers' global supply chains.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this news release may be deemed to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The company intends that all such statements be subject to the "safe-harbor" provisions contained in those sections. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, the company's discussion of its focus on and ability to meet customers' needs; its ability to become even more engaged with customers with the realigned management structure in the EMENA region; its ability to cultivate a team environment that is integrated to best support its customers' needs. Many important factors may cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those discussed in any such forward-looking statements, including a challenging operating environment; increased competition; the effects of increasing fuel prices, integration risks associated with acquisitions; the effects of changes in foreign exchange rates; changes in the company's effective tax rates; industry consolidation making it more difficult to compete against larger companies; general economic, political and market conditions, including those in Africa, Asia and Europe; risks of international operations; the success and effects of new strategies, disruptions caused by epidemics, conflicts, wars and terrorism; and the other risks and uncertainties described in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although UTi believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove inaccurate and, therefore, there can be no assurance that the results contemplated in forward-looking statements will be realized. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking information included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by UTi or any other person that UTi's objectives or plans will be achieved. The historical results achieved by the company are not necessarily indicative of its future prospects. UTi undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.