DHL Global Forwarding New Zealand and Fiji has appointed Zane Morton as its managing director.

He is to lead the operations in New Zealand and oversee the growth of the business in Fiji, managed by country manager Ray Viegas, who is to report to him.

“We are confident [Zane Morton] will help our businesses in New Zealand and Fiji reach greater heights amidst the current challenging microenvironment,” said Charles Kaufmann, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding North Asia South Pacific.

New Zealand’s exports reportedly grew 58.6% in the last decade between 2009 and 2019.

Mr Morton said he was “acutely aware” he was taking on the role at “a very interesting time”.

“In the short term, the industry will face a massive undertaking of delivering an unprecedented volume of more than 10 billion doses of vaccines worldwide; at the same time, DHL Global Forwarding is undergoing a digital transformation,” he said.

“I am excited to lead the teams in New Zealand and Fiji to take on these challenges and leverage the opportunities to bring the business to greater heights.”

Mr Morton joined DHL in New Zealand in 1983 and held several positions during his career.

In 2006, he relocated to Dubai where he was the regional marketing and sales manager for DHL Middle East and Africa for DHL Global Forwarding. He returned to New Zealand in 2011 and was appointed head of ocean freight in 2012, and subsequently head of sales in 2015.