In his new role, Mr. Keenan will have responsibility for execution and administration of ABF's local and corporate sales; marketing and yield management. He will also oversee ABF's advertising and public relations initiatives. Mr. Keenan replaces Roy M. Slagle whose January 2012 appointment as ABF's new President and Chief Executive Officer, replacing the retiring Wesley B. Kemp, was announced earlier today.
'Jim's thirty year career with ABF and former Arkansas Best intermodal subsidiary Clipper Exxpress includes leadership positions in rating, pricing, and sales management over a broad spectrum of logistics including less-than-truckload, truckload, intermodal, ocean, warehousing, specialized/customized delivery, expedited and more,' said Roy M. Slagle, ABF's current Senior Vice President - Sales and Marketing. 'Jim's leadership has had a transformational effect on the ABF sales organization resulting in an extremely effective organizational structure, a results-driven training regimen and world class business analytical tools. As I move into my new ABF leadership role in January 2012, I am pleased to have a person of Jim's caliber overseeing our sales, marketing, and yield management efforts.''
Mr. Keenan came to ABF' with the East Texas Motor Freight acquisition, working in the pricing department as an analyst and later as a department manager. He was promoted to ABF Regional Vice President - Sales in 1988. For three years in the late 1990s Mr. Keenan served as Vice President ' Sales and Marketing for Clipper, returning to ABF in 1999. Prior to assuming his current sales position in 2007, he was ABF's Vice President - Administration & Treasurer.
