The last two years have been groundbreaking for the trade. Not only did the Corona pandemic catapult the entire industry years forward. The way brands do business has fundamentally changed. Store systems such as Shopify or WooCommerce enable manufacturers and retailers to quickly build a scalable digital storefront to the customer and enter direct sales (Direct2Consumer). Manifesting trends such as social commerce are additionally fueling this development. At the same time, the demands on e-commerce order fulfillment are increasing with the benchmark set by marketplaces such as Amazon. To enable e-commerce merchants in Switzerland and Europe to focus on their growth and grow nationally as well as across borders, MS Direct AG has established eFulfillment and cross-border solutions that take the complexity out of order fulfillment for merchants and enable scalable operations. Customized and sustainable packaging, multi-carrier management, omni-channel order fulfillment, automated customs management and plug & play connectivity – requirements that are managed data-driven and continuously developed at MS Direct. With targeted innovations in these areas, MS Direct AG has established itself as one of the leading e-commerce fulfillment providers.
Luca Graf is a proven e-commerce logistics expert. As Head of Digital Innovation at DSV and Panalpina, the 46-year-old industrial engineer with a PhD has many years of experience in the digitalisation of logistics processes. From exoskeletons to drone operations to optimise process efficiency, Graf has an extensive track record. Graf was also Head of Online & Direct Sales at Swiss International Air Lines for many years, where he was responsible for swiss.com, Switzerland's top-selling online shop. He was also a member of the board of directors of Cargo sous terrain, the innovative overall logistics system that develops the underground, flexible transport of small consignments in Switzerland.
Milo Stössel, who will continue to perform his functions as CEO of the MS Direct Group and as a member of the Board of Directors of MS Direct AG, explains: “We are an important pillar in the growth of more than 200 companies in e-commerce and plan to further expand this position in the coming years”. Luca Graf strengthens our organization and will continue to follow the course set in recent years: “It is a pleasure and an honor for me to take over the function of CEO at MS Direct AG. The company is excellently positioned. I see the CEO function at MS Direct AG as a unique opportunity to contribute my experience as a doer and implementer together with the team for our customers.” MS Di-rect AG already combines logistics processes with its own software and machine learning solutions. The company from eastern Switzerland will expand this technological expertise in the coming years and continue to invest in the digital transformation of logistics. “In addition to targeted automations of our warehouses, we will develop a unique cross-border platform to further internationalize our offering,” Graf explains. He will take up his position as CEO of MS Direct AG on May 1, 2022.