Ramanan will focus on vision, strategy and growth, while Bryant continues to scale AxleHire’s geographic footprint, operating model, and technology capabilities.
EMERYVILLE, CA, June 27, 2023 — AxleHire, an expedited, urban last-mile delivery provider that helps brands meet and exceed customer expectations, today announced it has named Raj Ramanan CEO. As part of the new leadership strategy, AxleHire’s former CEO, Adam Bryant, will step into the role of chief operations officer (COO). The newly-appointed CEO and COO will partner in their efforts to lead AxleHire into its next growth chapter. Ramanan will focus on AxleHire’s vision, mission, growth, and long-term strategy, while Bryant will continue to champion the company’s expansion efforts by driving scale, continuing to build out the technology platform, and improving margins.
The last-mile delivery industry has reached an inflection point. Consumer expectations are at an all-time high: More than 90% of consumers consider 2-day to 3-day delivery times as a baseline for delivery service standards, and nearly a third of consumers expect same-day delivery options. In 2021, Statista reported 37% of North American shoppers had abandoned a purchase because the estimated shipping time was too long. Meanwhile, rising shipping costs and delivery/fulfillment logistics were the top two “last-mile/fulfillment challenges” cited by North American retailers, followed by customer expectations for free and low-cost shipping fees.
AxleHire has thrived in a market where many providers are failing to keep pace with customer demands due to its 99+% on-time delivery rate and best-in-class customer service combined with affordable fees and real-time visibility into the delivery route. During the past year, the company has experienced exceptional year-over-year growth, with 100% client retention and triple-digit net revenue retention. Because of its data-driven culture that prioritizes constant improvement across business functions, leading brands like HelloFresh and American Eagle rely on AxleHire’s last-mile delivery services to keep their customers happy.
“Under Adam’s leadership, we have cemented our position as a leading last-mile delivery provider. The growth we have achieved up to this point is astounding and a direct result of Adam’s vision, as well as his ability to set up highly-efficient operations that allow us to uphold our 99+% on-time delivery rate while keeping costs in-check,” said Raj Ramanan, AxleHire, CEO. “Adam has built a strong, sustainable foundation that will enable us to continue to grow exponentially. It is such an exciting time to join AxleHire, and I am grateful that I get to be part of this exceptional leadership team. I can’t wait to dig in and lead the company to our next chapter of spectacular growth.”
Prior to being named CEO, Ramanan served as the chief operating officer (COO) for Scorpion, a digital marketing services provider for local businesses. Before his tenure at Scorpion, Ramanan was the chief revenue officer (CRO) for a local media property at Hearst. During his career, he has held multiple executive leadership roles, including President of HYFN Local (NextStar Media Group’s in-house agency) and President & Co-Founder of Loku, a local discovery startup that leveraged NLP and computer vision to match places, events, activities, and experiences to users’ tastes. Earlier in his career, Ramanan held various roles at the global investment firm KKR, The Walt Disney Company’s Strategic Planning Group, and McKinsey & Company.
“Raj’s executive leadership experience paired with his hyper-growth mindset make him the perfect person to take AxleHire to the next stage. By doubling-down on the things that set us apart from our competition – our ability to provide best-in-class delivery services on time and at a competitive price-point – I am 100% confident that we will capture an even greater market share with Raj at the helm,” said Adam Bryant, AxleHire, COO. “When I joined AxleHire in March 2020, our entire industry was forced to redefine its business model. At the time, my goal was to build a client-first approach while streamlining operations so that we could continue to delight brands and exceed consumer expectations. Now, when so many last-mile delivery providers are weathering severe downturns, AxleHire has continued to thrive, reaching exceptional levels of growth within our industry. For me, knowing what we’ve been able to accomplish during the last three years, it feels as if we are on the cusp of something bigger than any of us can imagine.”
Last-mile delivery services is a $140 billion market that is forecasted to reach $200 billion in the next three years. AxleHire currently operates in 21 major metropolitan regions with a combined coverage area of more than 115 million consumers. The company’s proprietary technology enables it to aggregate packages into dense delivery routes while also matching load-size to right-sized vehicles based on available capacity. This process has resulted in reduced CO2 emissions per package and helped AxleHire achieve a smaller carbon footprint compared to other last-mile delivery providers and delivery incumbents.
About AxleHire
AxleHire is an expedited, urban last-mile delivery service that helps brands meet and exceed customer expectations by providing a superior same- and next-day delivery experience. AxleHire leverages purpose-built technology and a gig driver fleet to drive transformative outcomes that catalyze customers’ brand growth. Logistics teams can now provide a differentiated delivery experience at a competitive cost, overcoming the limitations of legacy delivery providers. AxleHire operates in urban areas across the U.S., enabling high-volume shippers to consistently cater to the rising needs and expectations of their customers. For more information, please visit axlehire.com.
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