ECS Group has announced the appointment of Martin Bittner as its new managing director (MD) of Globe Air Cargo, Germany.

Bittner assumed the role on 1 January, taking over the helm from Mark Grinsted who will retire after serving 14 years with the group.

Grinsted will hang his boots up on 31 March shortly before his 69th birthday. An industry veteran with a wealth of experience spanning nearly five decades, Grinsted is to put his knowledge to good use in the coming years in special projects for ECS Group.

He was instrumental in establishing Aero Cargo International as a second ECS company in Germany and part of the management from its commencement. In January 2016, he also took on full responsibility as MD for Aero Cargo, and during the course of the year, he merged the activities of Aero Cargo with Globe Air Cargo for improved synergies.

Bittner joins from DHL Global Forwarding Germany where he was head of key account management. He was responsible for all sales, marketing and retention activities for key accounts in Germany.

Bittner says: “I am very proud to join the ECS group especially because of the strong and professional image in the market. I hope the experiences gained during my career will add value to the group for even greater success for the future.”

Previously, he held senior roles at Expeditors International, Air Canada Cargo, Continental Europe and Lufthansa Cargo.