William J. “Bill” Shea, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of Direct ChassisLink Inc. (DCLI), will receive the 2019 Connie Award presented by the Containerization and Intermodal Institute on September 17. The industry-wide event to honor Mr. Shea will be held at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, CA.
In his current position, Mr. Shea has been instrumental in shaping the strategic vision of DCLI and facilitating the acquisition of major legacy chassis fleets while maintaining oversight of the company's growth and financial performance.
In addition, J. Christopher Lytle, the Executive Director of the Port of Oakland, CA, and longtime shipping industry veteran, will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The 2019 awardees were chosen following an industry-wide poll and were announced today by Michael DiVirgilio, President, CII. “Bill Shea’s track record of innovation within the transportation industry encapsulates CII’s mission and vision. His contributions are valued greatly.”
Shea has more than three decades of experience in the transportation leasing industry, starting his career with Itel Rail Corporation. Years later, he co-founded Kelley Transportation Services. Mr. Shea was the key executive who oversaw the creation of DCLI, formerly the chassis leasing division of Maersk. He was also the thought-leader behind the creation of the Pool of Pools in 2015, the grey daily-use chassis pool that operates in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Mr. Shea also engineered the acquisition of REZ-1 and IAS, now called Blume Global, to provide asset management and logistics software services to railroads, ocean carriers, logistics companies, motor carriers and BCOs.
Presently, Mr. Shea serves on the Board of Directors of DCLI and Blume Global and on the Board of the International Institute of Container Lessors. Mr. Shea has a long history serving charitable organizations and has founded three charity wine auctions which have raised over $40 million for children’s causes. He also sits on the San Francisco Family House board, an 80-unit facility that houses families whose children are undergoing treatment for life-threatening illnesses at University of California, San Francisco Hospital.
J. Christopher Lytle was named as the Oakland port's top management position in 2013. Prior to assuming the position at the Port of Oakland, Mr. Lytle served as the Executive Director at the Port of Long Beach. Before joining the Port, Mr. Lytle served as Vice President of West Coast Operations for the French-based shipping line CMA CGM, which has significant marine and terminal operations at the ports of Long Beach, Oakland and Seattle. He has held various leadership positions at P&O Ports North America, Denmark-based APM (Maersk) Terminals, and Sea-Land Service, Inc.
Throughout his career, Mr. Lytle has been affiliated with several associations in the maritime industry, including the Pacific Maritime Association, and the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, where he was on the Board of Directors. He also has served on the boards of the Steamship Association of Southern California, the Propeller Club of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the Marine Exchange of Southern California, and was a member of the Executive Committee for the Center for International Trade and Transportation. Currently, he is on the board of the University of Denver's Intermodal Transportation Institute.
