• TPM25 | March 2-5, 2025
  • TPM25
  • March 2-5, 2025 | Long Beach Convention Center

Casper Ellerbaek

DHL Global Forwarding, Freight

Executive Vice President, Global Ocean Freight

Member of the Global Forwarding Management Board at DHL Global Forwarding since September 2023. In this capacity, Casper manages and oversees the global ocean freight product of DHL Global Forwarding, a prominent air and ocean freight specialist within the DHL Group.

With an extensive background spanning over 20+ years in the freight forwarding industry, Casper has honed his expertise through diverse leadership roles across Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and, notably, the last 13 years in Asia. His experience uniquely positions him to navigate the complexities of the global supply chain and contribute to the continued success of DHL Global Forwarding.

Casper's association with the DHL family extends beyond his current role, as he previously held the position of Vice President Asia Pacific Route Management and Procurement from 2010 to 2015 at DHL Global Forwarding in Singapore. His return to DHL underscores his commitment to the organization and its global objectives.

Casper Ellerbaek's leadership and multifaceted experience continue to be valuable assets to DHL Global Forwarding, contributing to the company's position as a leader in the global logistics and freight forwarding industry.

Sessions With Casper Ellerbaek

Monday, 4 March

  • 10:30am - 11:30am (PST) / 04/mar/2024 06:30 pm - 04/mar/2024 07:30 pm

    Container Shipping Outlook: Beyond the Down Cycle

    In the wake of the massive rate hikes and record profitability for ocean carriers in 2021-2022, the container shipping industry has returned to pre-pandemic/historical profitability levels. And yet services are far from normal: The capacity-sucking routing of capacity away from the Suez Canal because of fears of Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea, coupled with Panama Canal’s drought restrictions, is jolting container spot rates from Asia to North America and Europe. The surge, however, may be short-lived given the modest expectations for import growth in North America during a time when there’s plenty of ship capacity to spare. Facing an inflationary environment restraining demand growth, carriers ultimately will have to reduce capacity, barring another shock to capacity due to disruption. For now, that’s come through more aggressive blanking of sailings, much to the chagrin of shippers and forwarders. At the same time, maritime regulators are becoming more aggressive, with the Federal Maritime Commission's new mandate from Congress and the sunsetting of Europe’s block exemption. That’s forcing carriers to reconsider the risk exposure of vessel-sharing agreements and their networks. Europe’s new emission trading system is giving carriers a taste of the higher costs tied to decarbonization that they’ll need to pass through to customers. More generally, shippers remain reluctant to embrace more expensive green shipping services, even as carriers invest billions of dollars for ships that will be able to run on cleaner fuels. While it may be a familiar down cycle of overcapacity, new geopolitical and regulatory challenges, coupled with a dimming global economic outlook, promise something entirely new. This session, an annual TPM focal point, will take stock of the trans-Pacific trade and cast an eye to what is shaping up to be an uncertain and angst-filled 2024. In the process, it will answer the following questions:

    • How big a drag is the down cycle on carrier profitability?

    • What is the supply-demand outlook for 2024 and 2025?

    • How are major external and internal forces reshaping networks?

    • How are carriers managing decarbonization investment risks?

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