World Group Announces Strategic Leadership Transition with Co-CEOs at the Helm

February 23, 2024 – In a strategic move, World Group, known for its industry-leading portfolio of global logistics and supply chain brands, is proud to announce a transformation in its leadership structure, setting the stage for the next phase of growth. The company, which was founded over 60 years ago as World Shipping, Inc., has appointed Joey Palmer and Duncan Wright as Co-CEOs. This leadership transition is coupled with the transition of Fred Hunger from his role as CEO to that of Executive Chairman, while ensuring that Palmer and Wright will continue to serve as presidents of World Group’s flagship brands—ContainerPort Group (CPG®), UWL, Inc., and World Distribution Services (WDS)—respectively, thereby maintaining their brands' unique and standalone service offerings.

Fred Hunger, son of Jack E. Hunger, founder of World Shipping, Inc., has been pivotal in the company's growth and strategic expansion through the years. “Stepping into the Executive Chairman role, I am ready and excited to see Joey and Duncan take the lead. It is certainly unique, the Co-CEO setup, but we have done our homework. Turns out, it is not as rare as you would think, and it works. Joey and Duncan are a great match – they complement each other’s strengths. It is the right move for our future, setting us up for greater success across our portfolio of brands,” Hunger stated.

Joey Palmer, as president of ContainerPort Group, has been instrumental in establishing CPG as a leader in the drayage industry throughout his tenure at the 50-year-old company. Under Palmer’s guidance, CPG has expanded its footprint to serve all ports and rail terminals across the United States, leveraging an extensive network of owned assets and assigning a single point of contact for every customer.  Palmer's leadership has elevated CPG to a top ten drayage carrier, recognized on numerous industry-leading top carrier lists nationwide. This recognition is a testament to CPG's dedication to operational excellence, personalized customer experience and consistent reliability of its broad range of service offerings.

“In my tenure at CPG, we have become a household name in ocean container drayage. As we step into leadership roles within our parent company World Group, Duncan and I are committed to keeping our focus on our brands’ strengths—CPG’s expertise in trucking, World Distribution Services’ (WDS) warehousing and distribution capabilities, and UWL’s NVOCC and freight forwarding excellence. Our next step is about elevating the opportunities we deliver to our clients while maintaining the unique identity and value each brand contributes,” Joey Palmer stated.

Duncan Wright, as president of both UWL Inc. and World Distribution Services, has brought new levels of success and leadership to the table for World Group, pushing UWL to become one of the fastest-growing US-owned NVOCCs, renowned for its award-winning Sun Chief Express service. UWL, under Wright’s leadership successfully brought to market a guaranteed ocean service boasting the fastest transit times from Vietnam to the United States’ West Coast, redefining efficiency and reliability in the niche-carrier shipping market. 

In his capacity at World Distribution Services, Wright oversees a Top-100 3PL known for delivering customized port-centric logistics solutions, including warehousing and distribution in key markets. Under his leadership, the organization has grown its footprint in Savannah, New York, and the Pacific Northwest. 

"The opportunity to lead World Group into its next chapter alongside Joey is not only a privilege but an exciting challenge. The decision to have Co-CEOs reflects a strategic move to provide consistent leadership across World Group’s portfolio without merging our brands into a single entity. No one knows our people, products, and customers’ needs better than Joey and me, and we look forward to harnessing our combined leadership strengths to ensure our brands continue as market leaders within their respective part of the supply chain," Wright commented. "Together, we aim to elevate our global service reach and position our clients and our teams for improved opportunities and growth.”