The Jury

Philippe is a seasoned logistics and transport professional with over three decades of hands-on experience across maritime, airfreight, and forwarding operations. He began his career in the maritime sector in Antwerp in 1992, transitioned to airfreight in Brussels in 2001, and went on to lead the Brussels Airport Cargo team between 2004 and 2008. Until 2018, he successfully managed forwarding and handling agents across the industry.

After experiencing first-hand how traditional recruitment often failed to understand the true value of people behind their CVs, Philippe decided to raise the bar. In 2018, he founded ExSeCo, positioning it as the first fully dedicated experience-driven Executive Search and Talent Acquisition firm exclusively focused on transport and logistics.

For more than seven years, Philippe has led ExSeCo with a clear mission: to revolutionise talent acquisition in transport and logistics through strategic executive search, deep industry insight, and personalised coaching. His strength lies in aligning the DNA behind a CV with the culture and ambitions of global organisations—ensuring not only the right hire, but long-term engagement and success.

Under his leadership, ExSeCo has successfully placed professionals across Europe, with a strong footprint in the Benelux, Germany, France, Spain and Italy and an even broader international ambition set for 2026 and beyond.

Certified in Life Coaching, NLP, and Mindfulness, Philippe also empowers professionals to rediscover their passion, clarity and drive. Through ExSeCo’s coaching approach, he helps individuals and leaders alike to grow – professionally and personally- inviting them to “blow the whistle of life again.”

Christos Spyrou is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Neutral Air Partner (NAP), the premier global ecosystem of leading air cargo architects and aviation logistics specialists. With a career spanning more than 30 years across 8 nations and 4 continents, Christos is recognised for his leadership in advanced airfreight consolidation, neutral wholesale, gateway solutions, and global cargo networking. Born into an airfreight family, he developed a passion for cargo logistics from an early age. Throughout his international career, he has worked across diverse markets and cultures, gaining deep expertise in advanced airfreight consolidation management, neutral airfreight wholesale, gateway planning, airfreight product development, and global procurement strategies. Christos has established successful air cargo logistics organisations in both China and Africa, shaping modern airfreight consolidation models, neutral wholesale platforms, and strengthening logistics ecosystems within these fast-growing regions. He also serves as an Executive Board Member of TIACA, representing the interests of SME forwarders, consolidators, and GSAs on the global stage. In this capacity, he advocates for innovation and higher quality standards across the air cargo logistics community. Christos specialises in creating, scaling, and modernising airfreight products and networks for professional forwarders, consolidators, and GSAs. Under his leadership, Neutral Air Partner has become one of the largest air cargo service networks in the world, uniting over 400 air cargo logistics partners in 150 countries and delivering innovative solutions to the aviation and logistics community.

Mathieu Sérafimoff is Managing Partner – Operations & Quality Compliance at SkyForge Consulting and founder of Aeris Logistica. Over the past decade he has led round-the-clock cargo operations across Belgian cargo airports for major ground handlers, steering teams in the hundreds, building structured dialogue with unions, and carrying end-to-end business responsibility. His e-AWB studies and related digitalization programs were developed in close partnership with IATA, freight forwarders and cargo airlines. His scope also includes national and international customs and security compliance, mergers, airline start-ups and airport tender writing, the design of warehouse and ramp processes to maximize operational structure and capability. Loadmaster-trained, he has served as Responsible Person  for GDP and CEIV Pharma, and is conversant with Cargo iQ and related standards. At SkyForge he pairs hands-on improvement and operational excellence with strategy and commercial development, extending to airport-level programs such as single-window and port community systems. He treats continuous improvement like a competitive sport: refusing to settle, broadening and perfecting the service offering, and pursuing sustainable profitability. He co-founded YAN (Young Airfreight Network) and remains closely involved with the community, giving back to a profession he regards as his passion and a privilege.

For 20 years Roos Bakker has been working for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The past 6 years have seen her working as Cargo Partnerships Director. As such, she is responsible for cargo airline routes and network development in key markets Asia and Africa, and is one of the key strategists within the Holland Flower Alliance, set up by Schiphol, KLM and Royal Flora Holland. Roos has been a board member for TIACA since 2021 and vice chair of TIACA since November 2023.

Steven graduated in Brussels, from Ehsal with a Masters Degree in Business Administration. He started working for the Regional Development Agency, focused on assisting startup companies with business plans, seed and venture capital. One of the projects led him into cargo aviation, and once you are in …

Steven entered the aviation world in 2001 running a project to start up a cargo airline based in Brussels. The project led him to the Middle East and Asia. In 2003 Steven landed in Hong Kong and liked it a lot. He started his own company, offering eyes and ears in Asia for airports, airlines, and aviation related companies.

Steven worked for the business development team of Brussels Airport. His cargo DNA led him to Liege Airport as Cargo Development Manager Asia in 2006. He worked there for 15 years as the commercial director of Liege Airport, Belgium’s leading cargo airport. He was responsible for the global cargo development but was also in charge of passenger, real estate, and consulting.  Steven became the face of a leading European Cargo Airport living in Hong Kong and travelling around the globe.

Since 2022, Steven works fulltime for FB Cargo Strategy. He is mostly developing a vision, advising on investment projects, and putting airport cargo development projects in the market. The goal is to create added value for Airports as well as for their host regions. The target is to make sure cargo owners recognise the advantages airfreight and airfreight driven multimodal platforms always will have to meet the requirements of their customers. He is also investing in and advising innovators in our industry, to drive digitisation and sustainability. Steven is a keen believer in sustainability through efficiency. All the projects have in common that they are air cargo related, and partnerships with colleagues who became friends.

Brigitte Gledhill’s air cargo journey began as a Lufthansa Cargo management trainee back in 1996, shuttling between the UK and Germany. After 21 years in very varied international positions covering every angle of air cargo from sales to handling, flight operations, marketing, claims, and product development, she became self-employed as an air cargo journalist and copywriter. Brigitte is a regular contributor to the free, weekly, air freight-focused email newsletter, CargoForwarder Global.

Chris is a renowned aviation specialist with extensive experience in cargo operations and cultural transformation. With a deep understanding of the importance of validation and verification, he has a demonstrable track record of influencing change in people, processes, and performance, resulting in efficiency improvements and increased competency of personnel. He is a proven leader with a realistic, yet positive, attitude who is committed to reducing costs, optimising resources, and executing transformative strategies.

Previous positions include:

Chief Ground Handling Officer Saudi Arabia Cargo Company (SACC) – 3 Hubs and 20+ domestic stations; VP of both Cargo Network and Cargo Hubs within SACC;  VP of both Cargo Network and Cargo HUB with QR –Qatar Airways; Head of Cargo with EY – Etihad Airways; EVP Business Development – Groundforce; Lufthansa Cargo (29 years) – Regional Director – Various regions – Northern Europe, Ukraine, Baltics, and the UK.

Glyn has been involved in Air Cargo for over 40 years having started his career with British Caledonian in the UK.  He joined IATA in 1991 and become IATA’s Global Head of Cargo in June 2014.  In February 2021, Glyn joined TIACA as its first Director general where he works with the Board to deliver the organization’s vision for a safe, profitable and united air cargo industry that embraces modern technologies and practices, to sustainably serve trade and social development worldwide.  Priority areas include safety, security, sustainability, digitalization and innovation.  He is dedicated to developing collaborative relationships and is a firm believer in supporting the next generation of industry leaders and innovators.