C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.
Leadership History
2 leaders · 2019 to present
Dave Bozeman is the CEO of C.H. Robinson, in the role since 2023. The first chief executive was Bob Biesterfeld, from 2019.
| Name | Role | From | To | Years in role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David P. Bozeman | President and Chief Executive Officer | 2023 | Present | 3 |
| Bob Biesterfeld | Former Chief Executive Officer | 2019 | 2022 | 3 |
C.H. Robinson is one of the largest third-party logistics (3PL) companies in the world and the biggest freight broker in North America. Headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, it had 11,855 employees in 37 countries at the end of 2025. It reports two main segments, North American Surface Transportation (NAST) and Global Forwarding, plus an All Other and Corporate group that includes Robinson Fresh produce sourcing and Managed Services. Because it does not own the trucks, planes, or ships that move freight, its business depends on technology, carrier relationships, and pricing discipline.
C.H. Robinson operates an 'asset-light' freight brokerage business model. If a large food company needs to move 500 truckloads of cereal from Chicago to Dallas, they don't call 500 independent truckers. They call C.H. Robinson. C.H. Robinson quotes a price for the entire job. They then use their large 'Navisphere' digital platform and thousands of human brokers to find independent truck drivers willing to take the load for a slightly lower price. The entire multi-billion dollar business is built on pocketing that tiny spread between what the shipper pays and what the trucker earns.
President and Chief Executive Officer
2023 – Present
3 years (current)
Bozeman was hired away from Ford to implement strict 'lean manufacturing' principles across C.H. Robinson's massive freight brokerage operations.
As CEO, he aggressively pushes the adoption of generative AI to automate routine freight matching, attempting to cut operating costs amid a severe, prolonged freight recession.
Former Chief Executive Officer
2019 – 2022
3 years
Biesterfeld oversaw the massive $1 billion acquisition of Prime Distribution Services to expand the company's retail consolidation capabilities before being forced out by the board in 2023.
During his tenure as CEO, the company struggled severely to adapt to the post-pandemic normalization of freight rates, losing massive market share to digital upstarts like Uber Freight.
C.H. Robinson's core challenge is the freight cycle. The Cass Freight Shipment Index had declined year over year for 15 straight quarters by Q2 2026, so volumes stayed weak even as pricing rose. Rising rates can also squeeze a broker: contract freight priced months earlier may have to be covered with more expensive spot capacity, which is why Q2 2026 truckload adjusted gross profit fell 1.4% even as total revenue jumped 19.3%. The company also competes with asset-based carriers that run their own brokerage arms, digital brokers such as Uber Freight, and large private brokers such as TQL. Finally, the Lean AI restructuring carries execution risk: headcount is down roughly 28.7% since mid-2023, and the company must keep service quality high while automating quoting, ordering, and tracking.
Dave Bozeman was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of C.H. Robinson on June 26, 2023, succeeding interim CEO Scott Anderson and former CEO Bob Biesterfeld.
Dave Bozeman brought over 30 years of supply chain expertise, having served as Vice President of Ford Customer Service Division, Vice President of Amazon Transportation Services (overseeing Amazon's global middle-mile logistics and air fleet), and Senior VP at Caterpillar Inc.
Bob Biesterfeld served as CEO of C.H. Robinson from 2019 to the end of 2022, leading the company through the pandemic freight boom. Scott Anderson then served as interim CEO until Dave Bozeman joined in June 2023.
John Wiehoff served as CEO of C.H. Robinson from 2002 until 2019. Over 17 years, Wiehoff tripled revenues from $3.3 billion to over $16 billion, established Navisphere as the company's global technology backbone, and expanded international forwarding.
Sid Verdoorn served as CEO from 1977 to 2002, guiding the company from a private produce wholesaler into a dominant nationwide freight broker and leading its initial public offering on NASDAQ in 1997.
Dave Bozeman implemented a new operating model grounded in lean manufacturing principles, reduced corporate overhead, streamlined decision-making, accelerated automated digital load matching, and focused capital on expanding North American market share.
C.H. Robinson maintains an independent Chairman of the Board of Directors (Jodee Kozlak) alongside CEO Dave Bozeman, ensuring rigorous oversight across audit, compensation, governance, and sustainability committees.
Dave Bozeman emphasizes customer obsession, operational discipline, continuous technological innovation, speed of execution, and empowering frontline logistics specialists across C.H. Robinson's global network.
Dave Bozeman currently serves as CEO. He was brought in to aggressively modernize the company's operations and defend against highly funded, digital-first freight startups attempting to disrupt C.H. Robinson's legacy model.
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