Alessandro Cacciola, the new member of the Gebrüder Weiss management board and future head of the Air & Sea division

The Gebrüder Weiss supervisory board has appointed Alessandro Cacciola to its management board. Effective March 1, 2026, Cacciola will assume responsibility for the company’s Air & Sea divisions, succeeding Lothar Thoma, who will step down from the role March 31, 2026.

“In Alessandro Cacciola, we are gaining an experienced leader who possesses the abilities needed to ensure continuity and bring a fresh perspective to Gebrüder Weiss,” says Wolfgang Niessner, Chair of the Gebrüder Weiss supervisory board. “With his support, we plan to further consolidate our expanding air and sea business, and grow our services on a global, future-oriented scale.”

Alessandro Cacciola brings more than two decades of experience in international logistics to the table. He holds a degree in business administration with a focus on freight forwarding, transport and logistics, as well as an MBA in international business management and leadership. Cacciola began his professional career with the logistics provider Dachser; there he held several European sales and executive positions before becoming the head of global sales and a member of the Dachser Air & Sea Logistics management board, helping to power the company's international growth. In 2019, Cacciola joined the management board of the Andreas Schmid Group and became its CEO. In this capacity, he was responsible for the organization’s comprehensive restructuring and globalization program.

“Gebrüder Weiss is a highly-regarded name in the industry and has always stood for credibility, quality, and consistent customer centricity,” Cacciola says. “I am looking forward to meeting my colleagues around the world. To my mind, the free-flowing exchange across and beyond national and cultural borders is an essential factor in success, one that also engenders personal motivation. The aim will be to drive the further strategic development of the Gebrüder Weiss product portfolio by placing a premium on service quality, integrative capability, and sustainable solutions – thereby keeping the global supply chains resilient and future-proofed.”

Lothar Thoma has been a member of the management board at Gebrüder Weiss since September 1, 2019. Under his guidance, the Air & Sea division successfully evolved despite challenging phases in the market, including the COVID pandemic. Landmark expansion measures took place during his tenure – in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, Poland, Germany, and elsewhere.

“Starting with my initial experiences in our family business, I have had the good fortune to spend some 40 successful and eventful years in the logistics industry, getting to know myriad countries and cultures, and working with wonderful people. It has been a fulfilling journey, but now I would like to pursue other interests. I wish Alessandro Cacciola and my team great success working together,” Thoma concludes.

“The company would like to explicitly thank Lothar Thoma for his many accomplishments and wish him all the best for the future,” says Wolfgang Niessner.

The handover from Lothar Thoma to Alessandro Cacciola will extend over a one-month transitional period to ensure continuity for customers, partners, and staff alike.

Alessandro Cacciola's appointment will expand the executive team at Gebrüder Weiss, which consists of Wolfram Senger-Weiss (CEO), Jürgen Bauer, and Peter Schafleitner.