Boeing’s Pierce Joins Emirates SkyCargo

David F Pierce, until recently Regional Director Marketing Cargo with the Boeing Commercial Airplane Group, has left Seattle for Dubai and joined Emirates SkyCargo to manage cargo marketing and business development.

In the course of his 27 years with Boeing, Mr Pierce initiated and developed the Boeing World Air Cargo Forecast, regarded today as the industry’s key reference and trend indicator.

Mr Pierce brings to Emirates more than 30 years experience in the transportation and logistics industry, including airborne, rail, truck and sea-borne modes of transportation.

In addition to Boeing, Mr Pierce has worked for North American Rockwell as a logistics engineer, and McDonnell Douglas as a systems engineer-cargo. While with McDonnell Douglas, he designed and implemented the Air Freight Decision Tool (AFDT), which was used to communicate the benefits of air freight as a logistic tool.

Mr Pierce has served as chairman of the industry’s Cargo Analysis Technology Symposium (CATS), a board member of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) and past chairman of TIACA’s Technology and Economics Committees. He is an author and lecturer on the air cargo industry.

In his new position, he will focus primarily on business development. “Emirates is attractive because it is one of the few airlines in the world that has married various revenue possibilities so that cargo has a real say in fleet planning, and schedules, for instance. I find that exciting.

“The airline is going through significant growth and is moving into all the major world markets where freight is important. As a result, a lot of advance planning is needed for the capacity coming in over the next few years. The critical attitude is that the customer is central and, as we expand, we must talk to the customer and understand their requirements. At the moment my role is a listener to our actual and potential customer base.”

Ram Menen, the airline’s Director Cargo, said: “I am delighted that David has joined us. He brings invaluable experience to Emirates. In the course of his career, he has become a highly respected figure in the air cargo industry and I look forward to working with him.”