Rob Walpole moves up as new VP as Delta Cargo moves into commercial arm

Courtesy Delta : Chris Rank for Rank Studios

Delta Cargo has appointed Rob Walpole (pictured) to replace vice president cargo Shawn Cole as it subsumes the cargo department into Delta’s commercial arm.

Mr Cole becomes vice president global sales, a new role focused on “on identifying enterprise-wide synergies” within Delta. He has headed the cargo arm since July 2017 and been chair of SkyTeam Cargo.

Mr Walpole was appointed last year to take on a new role of vice president cargo operations and logistics, joining from DP World. He will now lead a team under the commercial arm. Delta said the move was “to ensure that the cargo business is a more integral part of the commercial portfolio”.

Steve Sear, executive  VP global sales and president-international, said: “Through his prior leadership of global commercial organisation and focus on operational excellence, Rob is well equipped to lead the Delta Cargo team on a path of continued growth and innovation.”

It is not the first time Delta has made structural changes to where cargo sits in its organisation. In 2014 it made the rare decision to realign its cargo team, dividing it into two, with sales reporting to passenger sales, and cargo operations folded into passenger operations.