NewCold bases new global CCO/COO in Melbourne

Abhy Maharaj has joined NewCold as global chief commercial officer & chief operating officer as the company eyes growth in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. The appointment will be effective 1 July 2019.
NewCold is a global company developing and operating highly automated cold storage, warehousing and distribution. Headquartered in The Netherlands, the company has eight locations in three continents, offers over 800,000 pallet positions and has a team of around 750 employees.
NewCold opened two large facilities in Melbourne in 2018, a year late. According to the AFR, both of NewCold’s Truganina warehouses, capable of storing more than 100,000 pallets each and able to operate around the clock with minimal labour, were due to be completed by July 2017.
In this new role, Abhy Maharaj will work closely with Bram Hage, founder and executive officer, and the global management team of NewCold on the company’s overall strategy and execution and will oversee NewCold’s business planning, marketing, business development and operating efficiency.  Mr Maharaj will be based in Melbourne, to be “close to business expansion opportunities in Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia and China”.
Mr Hage said: “I am pleased to have someone with Abhy’s experience on our leadership team as we accelerate our growth into a fully-fledged multinational with highly automated supply chain solutions across all key cold-chain growth markets. Abhy will strengthen our commercial disciplines, customer relationships and strategic execution.
“His working experience in Australia, New Zealand and Asia will be invaluable as we expand in these markets,” he said.
Mr Maharaj has more than 20 years’ experience in global corporate management, strategic and commercial development, and creating and implementing high-growth strategies for disruptive technologies and solutions. He previously held senior positions with Air New Zealand and Fonterra Dairy Co-operative.
Mr Maharaj said disruptive technology and advanced cold storage solutions would continue to revolutionise the global food supply chain.
“The global challenge is to move food from where it is produced to where it is consumed as efficiently, safely and securely as possible. In a world constrained by space, time and resources, new technologies and innovative approaches are needed.
According to Abhy, NewCold’s large-scale multi-temperature warehouse and supply chain operations, custom built to customer specifications, using its own proprietary cloud-based warehouse management system, are creating new possibilities for food manufacturers and improved offerings to consumers.
But the AFR reports that, according to senior industry sources, Swires Cold Storage’s recent decision to sell its entire Australian business and assets to new US entrant Emergent Cold was driven by the “irrational” pricing in the market and was a direct consequence of NewCold’s arrival in the market.