FERNRIDE, a leading German autonomous, electric trucking company announces a new addition to the board – the seasoned professional Guenter Schmidmeir, renowned for his expertise in the container terminal industry, joined FERNRIDE. With a remarkable career spanning 25 years, this industry veteran has held key positions including General Manager at Navis and Senior Vice President of Automation Sales at Kalmar.
FERNRIDE welcomes the expertise and counsel of the new board member in a preparation to accelerate the deployments in container terminals globally. Throughout his career, Guenter has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of the complexities of container terminal operations, especially in the field of automation. His tenure at Navis and Kalmar has equipped him with invaluable insights into industry trends and challenges.
“I have seen many automation products in the last 25 years. When I met the FERNRIDE team and learned about their approach of human-assisted autonomy for terminal tractors, I immediately knew that I wanted to join the mission and contribute by bringing this to more customers. This is one of the innovations that our industry has waited for a long time, and I believe that FERNRIDE has the right approach to scale this quickly and globally”, Schmidmeir reflects on his decision to join FERNRIDE’s mission.
“Guenter is poised to enhance our capabilities and drive innovation within the maritime sector. Having cultivated an extensive knowledge and network within the maritime industry, he brings a wealth of highly valuable expertise and relationships to the table. This experience and network will be instrumental in forging new partnerships, fostering collaboration, and driving growth opportunities for our organization and our customers'', says Martin Isik, Managing Director, CCO at FERNRIDE.
FERNRIDE’s automation solution is designed to increase productivity, safety and sustainability of horizontal transportation in container terminals. With the unique human-assisted approach to autonomy the company is able to deliver 100% reliability and availability of the solution in live operations and in mixed traffic. This approach delivers the desired benefits today, while significantly mitigating the risk of disruptions in live operations.
FERNRIDE’s board, which already includes industry titans, like Klaus Kleinfeld and Holger Mandel, has now gained further expertise, experience, and insights for the maritime and container terminal industry with the addition of Guenter Schmidmeir.
“As we welcome this distinguished professional to our team as Investor & Board Member, we are confident that his leadership, industry knowledge, and strategic vision will propel us to new heights of success. Together, we look forward to shaping the future of container terminal operations and setting new benchmarks for excellence in the maritime industry together”, adds Hendrik Kramer CEO and Co-founder of FERNRIDE.