GLOBAL transport services provider Brambles has appointed new mangement for its international business, including the president of Ford Australia, Tom Gorman.

Brambles has appointed Mr Gorman Group President, CHEP EMEA, covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Kevin Shuba, currently president, CHEP USA, has been appointed Group President, CHEP Americas, covering the USA, Canada and Latin America.

Brambles senior vice president - legal and mergers and acquisitions, Craig van der Laan, has been appointed group president, CHEP Asia-Pacific, covering Australia, New Zealand and Asia, including China.

Both Mr Shuba and Mr van der Laan will begin on February 1, 2008, while Mr Gorman will join Brambles on March 1.

Brambles chief executive officer Mike Ihlein said each group president would have full operational responsibility for their regions.

The appointments had been made, he said, after exhaustive global searches, involving both internal and external candidates.

"I announced in August that we would implement a new organisation structure for Brambles,following the substantial changes to the Group's composition over the past two years,'' Mr Ihlein said.

"This new structure will provide the organisational support to deliver our strategy of accelerating profitable growth across our business in both existing and new markets.''

Mr Gorman has worked for Ford for more than 20 years and has been president of Ford Australia since 2004.

Mr Shuba has a  "deep knowledge of CHEP'', having worked in the business for the past eleven years, while Mr van der Laan joined Brambles in 2001 and has held various roles with the group.

Mr Ihlein also announced today that Jasper Judd would join the executive leadership team in his new role as senior vice president strategic development, effective February 1, 2008.

And he said that Brambles' senior counsel, Robert Gerrard, had been appointed Brambles Group company secretary, while Sean Murphy, currently Senior Counsel Brambles Group, had been appointed Group General Counsel.