Guenter Rohrmann, former chairman of Cargo Network Services (CNS) who relinquished that post after many years just this past May at the Annual CNS Partnership Conference in Las Vegas, stepped down unexpectedly yesterday from his top management position at DHL as CEO of Emerging Markets Asia.
     He is leaving his position immediately which according to an industry source is “quite unusual.”
     The source said Guenter's departure “took most of the organization by surprise.”
     A lion of the air freight forwarding business, Guenter Rohrmann rose to greater heights and remained a potent force in air cargo longer and more successfully than almost anyone else in the history of the industry, first building and then integrating AEI into Danzas.
     Ken Allen, Country Manager Express Canada, succeeds Guenter as DHL CEO Express EMA immediately.
     Guenter Rohrmann by any measure is one of the good guys in the air cargo industry, no matter which side of the fence you sit on.
     Whether you are an airline, forwarder, integrator or shipper, while not always agreeing with what you might say, Guenter always put the debate “between the lines” and then on the shelf while moving on to leave plenty of space for the human condition.
     He is a friend, a neighbor, a realist, a father and husband, and somebody who made a habit of standing up for others while always keeping his word.
     Initially, Guenter. Rohrmann served at Air Express International (AEI) as that company's CEO.
     After Deutsche Post acquired AEI, Guenter devoted a major portion of his time visiting AEI agents around the world. His approach in this matter was both comprehensive and enlightened.
     While the first choice was to convince agents to remain part of the network, every possibility was advanced, including joint ventures and in some instances, generous buyout proposals.
     After a lifetime in air cargo he also seemed to be having one hell of a good time, which makes his unexpected departure at this time all that more mysterious.

Guenter Rohrmann as guest of honor at the annual Lufthansa Cargo Charter Customer Appreciation Day celebration July 8, 2006.

     Guenter once told me:
     “I’ve always said that when it stops being fun, then I will quit.”
     Guenter Rohrmann was born in Hanover, Germany.
     He started his career in the forwarding and air freight business in 1960 on the ramp at FRA, while attending business school.
    Guenter worked for a short time with Seaboard World Airways, the legendary all-cargo carrier from the USA, as part of that carrier’s famed “foreign legion” sales team based in Europe.
     He opened Air Express International's Frankfurt office and progressed steadily in the AEI organization—Managing Director Germany, Vice President Europe and ultimately CEO, in 1989.
     After AEI was acquired by Deutsche Post in 2000, and joined forces with Danzas, Guenter served as Vice Chairman of the Danzas AEI Inc. USA board of directors.
     Guenter is a family man with a beautiful wife, Serena and a six-year-old son named Grant.
     But all during his career, whether on the way up, or at the top, it has been his support for the air cargo industry and his willingness to advise and help others that has made him unique.
     IATA's Cargo 2000, Cargo Network Services (where as mentioned he served as chairman for the past six years until 2006), TIACA and several other local and worldwide air cargo organizations have gotten their start, or at one time depended on the steady hand, wisdom and largesse of Guenter Rohrmann.
     We salute Guenter and wish him well.
(Geoffrey Arend)