Former Forward Air CEO Tom Schmitt Joins Nikola Corporation

Nikola Corporation announced on Tuesday the appointment of Tom Schmitt, the former CEO of Forward Air, as its new Chief Commercial Officer. In his new role, Schmitt will be responsible for overseeing sales, commercial operations, dealership relations, customer service, marketing, and customer success functions. Additionally, he will play a key role in scaling the company’s business. Schmitt officially began his new position on Tuesday.

Schmitt’s departure from Forward Air earlier this year followed the company’s contentious acquisition of Omni Logistics, which triggered a series of executive resignations, starting with Schmitt’s exit as president, chairman, and CEO in February.

Over his three-decade career, Schmitt has held various executive roles. Prior to joining Forward Air, he served as a management board member and Chief Commercial Officer for DB Schenker. He also led AquaTerra as president and CEO and served as CEO of Purolator. Schmitt spent over a decade at FedEx Services, including a tenure as President and CEO of FedEx Supply Chain.

Announcing his new role at Nikola on LinkedIn, Schmitt expressed enthusiasm for “changing what is possible in trucking” and “moving America forward in a better way.”

Steve Girsky, President and CEO of Nikola, expressed confidence in Schmitt’s ability to help the company achieve its strategic and operational objectives. Girsky emphasized the importance of strengthening Nikola’s commercial team, particularly as the company focuses on enhancing the customer experience and expanding in the zero-emission Class 8 truck market.

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