Gefco UK has appointed Tristan Balayn managing director, responsible for all Gefco activity in the UK.
Alain Vignon, who has headed the UK senior management team since 2007, is returning to France to take up a more strategic position as manager for the Gefco Project, focusing on Gefco’s vision for the future.
Balayn has been with the company for more than 20 years having joined as a graduate, and has since worked across all areas of the business.
He was first based in Coventry before returning to France and taking responsibility for freight forwarding operations in Grenoble, a role her held for five years.
He later became depot manager in Nantes, specialising in groupage and freight forwarding, before moving to a larger depot in Dijon to improve freight forwarding and groupage operations.
Balayn was appointed overland operations manager of Gefco France in 2001, with responsibility for a network of 56 depots. In 2005 he became PSA Peugeot Citroën customer division manager, leading a project to adapt the supply logistics of PSA plants.
Most recently, he has been based in Lyon, one of Gefco France’s eight international hubs, as the regional director for the Rhone Alpes-Auvergne area.
Within this role he took responsibility for all maritime, road, air, customs and logistics activities across 13 sites and standardised all processes in the area.
Balayn joins Gefco UK in its 30th year of UK operations.