New Leadership for Toll Group

Global logistics company Toll Group has announced the retirement of its Managing Director Brian Kruger after five years in the role and eight years with the company. Michael Byrne will succeed Kruger as Managing Director of Toll, effective January 1.

Byrne has had a distinguished executive career over 14 years as Chief Executive Officer in three different companies. Most recently, he was the CEO of Coates Hire, a top ten global equipment hire company. Prior to this, he was the CEO of Linfox Logistics from 2006 to 2014.  Byrne oversaw Linfox operations in 11 countries across the Asia Pacific region employing more than 24,500 people, using more than 4.2 million square meters of warehouse space and operating over 5,000 vehicles. 

Byrne has a Master of Science in Transportation and Infrastructure from the University of Denver as well as management training at the University of Virginia and the MIT Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He said “The chance to join the Toll team is tremendously exciting and a great privilege. Toll is a wonderful 128-year-old global company with much history and much potential under Japan Post’s ownership to expand its already leading position in the Australian logistics market as well as overseas. I am in particular looking forward to meeting our customers across the world to learn how we can serve them even better.”

Toll Group Chairman John Mullen said “We welcome Michael to the position of Managing Director of Toll and are delighted to have an executive of his caliber join our company.  Michael has an excellent track record in our industry and we are sure will lead Toll to new levels of performance and customer excellence in the years to come.”

Mullen has been appointed Executive Chairman effective January 1.