C.H. Robinson’s Robert Biesterfeld has been named president of its North American Surface Transportation (NAST) division, effective Jan. 1, 2016.Biesterfeld is a 16-year veteran of the company, most recently serving as vice president of its truckload service line. Scott Satterlee, the current president of NAST, is retiring to spend more time with his family, the company said. Biesterfeld will report to C.H. Robinson CEO John Wiehoff.“Bob is a strong leader and has a proven track record of success. His impact leading our Truckload service line, along with his many years serving in network leadership roles, position him well to lead NAST,” Wiehoff said. “He has been a critical part of our leadership team and he brings strategic vision, a deep understanding of the transportation industry, and exceptional customer focus to this role. I am confident in his ability to lead NAST and to continue to build on our winning strategy.”Prior to serving as vice president of truckload, Biesterfeld held a number of roles at C.H. Robinson, including vice president of sourcing and temperature controlled transportation and general manager for the U.S. Southwest region for the company’s sourcing division. He began his career with the company as a key account manager in the corporate procurement and distribution services office. “Our network has tremendous scale and an unmatched presence in the North American market. I believe we have the best people in the industry, a world class portfolio of services and we are committed to continue to grow and take market share by building on the success Scott has led over many years,” Biesterfeld said.Satterlee, the former president of NAST, has served as senior vice president since 2007, and as an executive and officer of C.H. Robinson since 2002, according to the company. Additional positions with C.H. Robinson included director of operations and manager of the Salt Lake City branch. Scott joined the company in 1991.“Scott has been instrumental in driving growth, greater efficiency and cultivating talent across our North American network,” Wiehoff said. “His meaningful impact to the business provides Bob with a tremendous platform to build upon.”
