SAS Cargo hires Knudsen as vice president
Nile Pries Knudsen, director of freight for DHL since 2001, has been hired by SAS Cargo as vice president and head of global sales, the company announced earlier this month. Knudsen, 46, will lead SAS Cargo’s 160-member sales staff, which has representatives in North America, Europe and Asia. His past experience includes positions at A.P. Moller Maersk Group, Hangartner, J.F. Hildebrand and DHL Express. During that time, Knudsen held leading positions, including watching over DHL’s land-based transportation network in Europe.
Knudsen said he joins the company as it continues efforts to increase cargo capacity through agreements with other airline-cargo companies.
“The sales side has big ambitions,” he stated.
The move comes nine months after SAS Cargo refocused its energies toward sales by removing air-cargo handling operations from its direct control. The company outsourced those duties to Total Airport Services at its Newark, N.J., branch and created a new subsidiary for its Scandinavian market. SAS Cargo owns 100 percent of the new subsidiary, Sprint Air Cargo Handling Group AB.
SAS Cargo also has inked several agreements in recent years that allow it to access other airlines’ cargo inventory. The latest move came last July when SAS Group made a deal with Spanair.
