Atlanta-based United Parcel Service has appointed Brendan Canavan, a 31-year UPS veteran, as president of the logistics giant’s Asia-Pacific division.
Canavan is replacing Derek Woodward, who has returned to the United States to lead a major strategic project, a company statement on June 7 said.
Canavan most recently served as president of UPS’s North-East District in Europe. Based in Brussels, Canavan played a critical role in the transition of Poland’s parcel and express delivery service Stolica after it was acquired by UPS and in the realignment of the company’s European operations that brought together 27 countries.
“Brendan’s proven track record in a range of key operational functions makes him ideally suited to lead UPS’s Asia Pacific Region, which continues to play an increasingly important role in our growth strategy,” said Dan Brutto, president of UPS International.
A native of Philadelphia, Canavan began his UPS career in 1981 as a part-time package loader while attending Villanova University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics. He was promoted into management after graduation and served in various operational positions before being promoted to package division manager in 1989.
Before 1998, Canavan worked in UPS’s corporate marketing function. Between 1998 and 2003, he was promoted several times, first to operations manager and then to Upstate New York district manager in 2000. In 2003, he assumed the position of Metro Chicago district manager.
In 2004, Canavan was assigned to manage Worldport, the firm’s global air hub and package sorting facility, and oversaw the operational integration of Menlo Worldwide Forwarding, which UPS acquired in 2004, and the opening of UPS’s dedicated airfreight facility.
Photo: Alaskan Dude
