Werner Enterprises announced Thursday, Feb. 8, the promotion of Gregory L. Werner to chief executive officer. He will continue to hold the position of president, which he has held since 1997.
Greg Werner, 47, joined the Omaha, Neb.-based company in 1977 when Werner Enterprises had 100 trucks. Greg learned the family business from the ground up as an equipment maintenance mechanic, dispatcher, load planner, driver recruiter and treasurer. As the company’s fleet grew rapidly in the 1980s, Greg assumed the critical role of vice president of maintenance, using his expert knowledge of trucks and trailers to keep the company’s fleet operating at a high level.
In 1993, Greg also assumed responsibility for the company’s management information systems. Under his direction, Werner’s computer systems development, capacity and redundancy were greatly enhanced and expanded. In 1994, Greg was elected to the company’s board of directors. In 1997, when the company had 5,000 trucks and $700 million of annual revenues, Greg became the company’s president. Greg added the responsibility of chief operating officer in 1999.
Greg will succeed C.L. Werner as CEO, while the position of chief operating officer will not be replaced. C.L., who started in 1956 as a sole proprietor, was the company’s first driver and built the company from a one-man, one-truck operation into a $2 billion public company. C.L., 69, who is the company’s largest shareholder with about 30 percent ownership of the company’s outstanding shares, will remain an active chairman of the board, an officer position he assumed in 1984.
“I would like to thank my father for the outstanding training and guidance he has provided me, including my last 30 years at Werner Enterprises,” says Greg, who is a 5 percent shareholder of the company. “I am very grateful for this opportunity. We plan to continue to take Werner Enterprises to the next level, building on the rock-solid foundation produced over the last 50 years. With the support of our outstanding drivers, owner-operators, non-driver employees, customers, vendors and shareholders, I am confident that Werner Enterprises is well positioned for future continued success.”
