As the world grows ever more interconnected, the global shipping fleet is more essential than ever. Here’s the latest news of how you’re moving the world and how we’re helping you get it done.
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rafael2025-12-11 10:00:522025-12-11 10:40:03Verónica Baldasso at the IV Global Changemakers Forum: Leadership and Purpose with Mercy Ships
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rafael2025-11-21 09:00:522025-11-21 11:46:11Gal Dayan Joins Horizon Group as Chief Operating Officer
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rafael2025-05-07 16:08:132025-05-07 16:08:13Horizon Air Freight Sponsors U.S. Coast Guard Foundation Tribute Dinner
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rafael2025-03-21 17:37:112025-04-15 10:37:19Horizon Air Freight’s New York Office Hosts International Food Day Lunch
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rafael2023-11-07 16:23:122025-04-15 10:34:18Horizon Air Freight Honors Staff with Labor Day Employee Recognition BBQ
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rafael2023-10-23 13:10:532023-10-26 10:47:00Why I Joined Horizon, and Why I Stay
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rafael2023-06-07 13:11:352025-04-15 10:38:23Horizon Group Welcomes David Goldin as Global Controller
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rafael2023-06-07 09:06:462025-03-28 09:55:45How to Feed a Cruise Ship
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rafael2023-03-29 16:20:102023-03-29 16:48:31Takeaways from COVID-19
Senior Vice President of Global Cruise Logistics
Kasper Sommer is the Senior Vice President of Global Cruise Logistics at Delver Agents, HAF and Swift Marine, based in Copenhagen. In this role, he leads the group’s cruise logistics strategy worldwide, expanding its global footprint and ensuring that cruise lines and industry suppliers benefit from reliable, cost-efficient, and high-performance supply chain solutions. His work focuses on building strong partnerships, providing operational clarity, and enabling seamless guest experiences on every voyage.
With more than two decades of international leadership experience across logistics, freight forwarding, and maritime operations, Kasper has held senior roles in the U.S. and Europe, overseeing strategy, commercial development, and operational excellence. For over 15 years, he has specialized in end-to-end cruise and marine logistics, developing a deep understanding of global supply chains, maritime operations, and the challenges unique to the cruise industry.
One of the milestones he is most proud of is leading the transformation of a global logistics organization during a period of rapid industry change—strengthening performance, modernizing processes, and elevating the customer experience. This achievement, he notes, reinforced his belief that the right team, a shared vision, and disciplined execution can truly redefine success.
Kasper’s leadership style is direct, collaborative, and people-focused. He believes in creating environments where teams thrive—built on accountability, trust, and open communication. His core values are simple yet powerful: do the right thing, keep your word, and show up for the team—especially when the seas get rough.
Outside of work, Kasper enjoys skiing with family and friends, as well as cooking, basketball, padel tennis, and classic Danish hygge—evenings of board games, movies, and relaxation. As a father of two, he also enjoys supporting his children’s passions for horseback riding and handball.
Inspired by the world of sports, Kasper admires Kobe Bryant’s relentless work ethic and Phil Jackson’s team philosophy, often quoting: “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
Looking ahead, Kasper’s vision is to strengthen the group’s position as the most trusted logistics partner in the global cruise industry. By developing talent, expanding capabilities, and continuously enhancing reliability and agility, he aims to ensure that clients choose the team not because they have to—but because they know it’s the best choice to get the job done.
Chief Operating Officer
Gal Dayan is the Chief Operating Officer at Delver Agents, HAF and Swift Marine, a role he assumed in April 2025. In this capacity, he leads the group’s global operations strategy, focusing on cost optimization, flawless execution, and technology-driven transformation to elevate logistics performance worldwide.
Prior to joining the group, Gal served as Head of Global Logistics at Apple, based in Cupertino, California, where for more than three years he oversaw the company’s worldwide logistics operations. At Apple, he spearheaded a procurement reengineering program that delivered over $1 billion in annual savings, underscoring his ability to transform complex supply chains into efficient and value-driven systems.
Previously, Gal built a 23-year career at UPS, where he held senior leadership positions across Operations, Finance, and Sales, with both domestic and international assignments in Europe and the Middle East. His final role at UPS was Senior Vice President of Transportation Procurement, with full responsibility for the company’s transportation spend exceeding $18 billion annually.
With over 26 years of experience in the logistics industry, Gal has consistently been a catalyst for global transformation, innovation, and growth. He brings end-to-end expertise across the logistics spectrum, from freight forwarding to last-mile delivery, and has earned recognition for building world-class organizations, leading multicultural teams, and forging strategic partnerships that drive competitiveness and market expansion.
Gal holds a Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance and a B.B.A. in Computer & Information Systems Security, both from Baruch College, City University of New York, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He is fluent in English and Hebrew, with working knowledge of Arabic.
Guided by a mindset of continuous improvement and a collaborative leadership style, Gal is committed to positioning Delver Agents, HAF and Swift Marine as global leaders in maritime and cruise logistics, delivering operational excellence and sustainable growth.
Chief Executive Officer
Jeff McCorstin is the Chief Executive Officer of Delver Agents, HAF and Swift Marine, a position he assumed in March 2025 after serving as a Strategic Advisor to GHK Capital, the private equity firm that acquired HAF in 2024. He also serves on the group’s Board of Directors, where he continues to provide strategic vision and expertise in business transformation.
With a distinguished career of more than three decades at UPS, Jeff held leadership roles across operations, finance, engineering, strategy, and mergers & acquisitions, ultimately presiding over six global business units with full P&L responsibility. His final position before retiring in 2023 was as President of UPS Global Freight Forwarding. Among the defining moments of his career was leading UPS’s pandemic response project: coordinating over 225 dedicated charter flights carrying PPE into the United States in 2020, a mission that played a vital role in protecting lives and enabling the nation’s early reopening.
Jeff’s leadership philosophy is built on the principle of “Head, Heart and Hands”: strategy and innovation (Head), inspiration and collaboration (Heart), and execution with accountability and results (Hands). He is guided by unwavering values such as integrity, transparency, inclusion, and customer focus. What drives him most is enabling teams to exceed expectations and deliver exceptional service, by providing them with vision, tools, and trust.
Outside of his professional life, Jeff enjoys spending time with his wife Kris, their adult children Courtney and Riley, and their two dogs, Stella and Lucy. He is passionate about lake life, boating, hiking, tennis, pickleball, and exploring local breweries. Deeply rooted in community, he also values time at his family’s church. His guiding mantra is “Carpe Diem” seize the day complemented by a lifelong belief that success begins with willpower and a positive mindset.
As a source of personal inspiration, Jeff often returns to this passage, which has shaped both his life and career:
*“If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you’d like to win, but you think you can’t,
It is almost a cinch you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost;
For out in this world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will—
It’s all in the state of mind.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster person;
But sooner or later the one who wins
Is the one who thinks he can!”*
Looking ahead, Jeff is driving Delver Agents, HAF and Swift Marine toward becoming the global provider of choice for cruise and marine logistics, built on strategies that are customer-first, people-led, and innovation-driven.
Chief Human Resources Officer
Doug Paterson is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Delver Agents, HAF and Swift Marine, based in New York. In his role, he leads the global HR strategy and transformation across all brands, aligning people, culture, and business strategy to drive operational excellence and sustainable growth. Doug works closely with leadership teams to ensure that every employee has the tools, clarity, and support to achieve their professional goals while contributing to the collective success of the organization.
With more than 20 years of experience in human resources management, Doug has guided organizations through transformation, integration, and growth. His expertise spans global HR strategy, organizational design, shared services, HR technology implementation, and talent development. Among his proudest achievements is leading HR transformation programs that not only increased efficiency and productivity but also significantly enhanced the employee experience across multiple regions.
Doug’s leadership philosophy is rooted in trust, humility, and active listening. He believes that true leadership is about empowering others, encouraging people to take ownership, make decisions, and collaborate to achieve shared goals. For him, strategic planning, discipline, and teamwork are the pillars of long-term success.
Outside of work, Doug is married and a proud father of three, two currently in university and one in high school. He enjoys spending time with his family, staying active, and continuing to learn and grow. A phrase that inspires him both personally and professionally is: “Leadership is not about being in charge, but about taking care of those in your charge.”
Looking ahead, Doug is committed to strengthening the group’s culture of collaboration, innovation, and respect, building a workplace where every individual feels valued, heard, and empowered to make an impact. By combining strategic HR leadership with genuine human connection, he aims to ensure that teams remain engaged, inspired, and ready to meet the challenges ahead.
Chief Technology Officer
Sheryl Crespo is the Chief Technology Officer at Delver Agents, HAF and Swift Marine, based in Garden City, New York. In this role, she sets the group’s technology vision and strategy, spearheading the development of Navigator, the proprietary software platform that powers the organization’s global logistics operations. Her responsibilities span software architecture, product development, and data infrastructure, ensuring that innovation is seamlessly aligned with business objectives and that the group maintains a competitive edge through cutting-edge solutions.
Sheryl graduated from Columbia University with a double major in Computer Science and Evolutionary Biology, specializing in artificial intelligence. Her career has taken her through multiple stages of the tech industry: from natural language processing research at Columbia’s Declassification Engine to being the first data science hire at a healthcare startup that later achieved acquisition, and the first engineering hire at a gaming startup, where she built products from the ground up and scaled teams. After Nielsen acquired the company, she led the pivot into sports data, modernizing legacy systems to deliver advanced insights.
Since joining the group, Sheryl has led a remarkable digital transformation, evolving the technology function from outdated systems to a global team of specialists that includes engineers, project managers, and data scientists. Under her leadership, the company replaced over 50 years of legacy systems with modern, homegrown solutions. Today, Navigator is deployed globally accessible via mobile devices, desktops, and warehouse scanners supporting operations, partners, and clients across continents.
Her leadership style reflects the principles of servant leadership: empowering teams to reach their full potential in an environment of transparency, accountability, and collaboration. Guided by values of honesty, integrity, and inclusion, she fosters open dialogue, ensuring innovation thrives while every voice is valued.
Outside of work, Sheryl enjoys spending time with family and friends, working out, traveling, attending conventions, making tea, and reading. She finds inspiration in the words of T.S. Eliot: “What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”
Looking ahead, Sheryl’s vision is to continue advancing Navigator by integrating intelligent models that reduce manual work, making the platform more interactive and empowering for both teams and clients. Beyond the product itself, she aims to expand the group’s role as a technology provider, embedding innovation as a core part of the value delivered to clients worldwide.
Managing Director of Strategic Operational Planning & Transformation
Alexander Durante serves as Managing Director of Strategic Operational Planning & Transformation at Haf and Swift Marine, where he leads the alignment of long-term strategic vision with day-to-day operations on a global scale. His mission is to transform processes into measurable results, ensuring that every initiative delivers lasting value and drives the company’s growth.
With more than 18 years of experience at Horizon, Alexander has built a distinguished career that has taken him from early roles in operations and sales to senior leadership positions in logistics and strategic planning. Among his most notable achievements is the creation of the Cruise Logistics Vertical, a specialized division that reshaped the way Horizon serves the luxury cruise market. In just five years, this initiative grew to represent nearly 20% of Horizon’s total revenue and positioned the company as a trusted partner to some of the world’s most prestigious cruise brands.
Alexander’s leadership is defined by vision, integrity, and a commitment to excellence. He combines strategic thinking, effective communication, and innovative problem-solving to inspire teams, build client trust, and drive meaningful transformation that strengthens both operational performance and financial outcomes.
Passionate about continuous learning and people development, Alexander also dedicates time to charitable organizations and values the role of leadership beyond the corporate sphere. Outside of work, he enjoys athletics, lifelong education, and the rewarding challenge of parenthood.
Managing Director, USA Operations
Rosemarie Susino is the Managing Director of U.S. Operations at, HAF, based in Inwood, New York. In this role, she leads all U.S. operations for both Marine and Cruise Logistics, ensuring efficiency, quality, and continuous improvement across every facility under her direction.
With an impressive 40-year career within the organization, Rosemarie began in clerical support before moving into the Ocean Export department, where she managed the team for many years. Over time, she gained broad experience across multiple areas of the business. In 2010, she was promoted to Terminal Manager in New York, where she played a key role in launching the Cruise Division and opening the Miami facility. By 2019, she became Director of Operations, overseeing the New York and Houston facilities for marine operations, and in 2025, she was promoted to her current role as Managing Director of U.S. Operations, responsible for all Marine and Cruise activities nationwide.
Rosemarie’s leadership style is rooted in leading by example—remaining hands-on when needed, while empowering her team to take ownership. She values open communication, welcomes feedback, and is decisive when clear direction is required. Her work is guided by core values of integrity, accountability, collaboration, and respect, which have shaped her long-standing career.
She is motivated by the challenge of finding solutions to complex situations, turning obstacles into opportunities for both team growth and enhanced customer service.
Outside of work, Rosemarie enjoys spending time with her family and friends, finding balance and fulfillment in those connections.
Looking ahead, her focus is on driving continuous improvements across all operational areas, creating an environment where teams feel supported and empowered, and ensuring an ever-stronger customer experience.
Chief Financial Officer
Dave Rector serves as Chief Financial Officer at Horizon Air Freight, where his expertise at developing talent and teams across the organization has already proven to be vital to our success.
Dave’s favorite part of working with our clients is meeting their emergency shipment needs. About his work, he says: “In the Finance and Accounting departments, we aim to provide the same level of service to our internal clients as we do external ones . . . And we throw in a smile for free!”
Originally from Newport, RI, Dave currently resides in Ridgefield, CT with his wife of 26 years, Kim. He is also the proud father of two college-aged children. Outside of work he enjoys travel with the family, golf with his wife, yoga, cycling, and Beer League Hockey.
Ask Dave how he can help see your shipment through from deck to door at dave.rector@haf.com.
Group Managing Director
Strategic Growth & Brand
In her global leadership role, Veronica drives commercial growth, strategic partnerships, and brand alignment across the group, spanning cruise and expedition logistics, marine cargo, offshore platforms, bunkering, tankers, RoRo, bulk carriers, and grain logistics. She is known for blending visionary thinking with commercial pragmatism, designing tailored logistics strategies that deliver long-term value for shipowners, technical managers, and global partners across the Americas and Europe.
With over two decades of experience in the maritime industry, Veronica began her career in 2004 while pursuing legal studies in Argentina. In 2007, she founded Delver Agents, which has since become the go-to reference for expedition cruise logistics and ship agency services in South America and Antarctica. Since 2021, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the strategic development of Delver Agents, HAF, and Swift Marine, working directly with global stakeholders to deliver high-impact solutions in some of the most challenging environments.
Veronica holds a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences and Human Arts, a degree in International Commerce, and advanced legal training. Her certifications in Environmental Management and ISPS Code compliance reflect her dedication to responsible logistics, sustainability, and operational excellence.
She is deeply committed to creating real impact, building growth-oriented strategies that strengthen companies while embedding sustainability and long-term value creation. Her goal is to position the Horizon Air Freight–Delver Agents–Swift Marine group of companies as the global go-to partner for all marine verticals: cargo, tankers, RoRo, breakbulk, offshore platforms, cruise, and expedition cruise logistics.
Recognized as a visionary leader and team builder, Veronica cultivates high-performance environments grounded in trust, accountability, and collaboration. She actively represents the group at international forums such as IAATO and Seatrade, championing sustainability, port innovation, and industry-wide cooperation. Her leadership philosophy is centered on impact: “Every day is a chance to grow, connect, and create something that makes a difference—for our teams, our clients, and the communities we serve.”
Beyond her professional endeavors, Veronica is passionate about traveling, swimming, cycling, meditating, and spending time with her husband and four children. A lifelong learner and communicator, she brings heart, vision, and purpose to every challenge she undertakes.
Vero currently lives in Seattle, WA with her husband and three children: big huggers who love to travel together.
VP of Finance
Alex Leondis is Business and Data Analytics Manager at Horizon Air Freight, who uses his background in finance to drive Horizon’s business forward. He continually challenges our team and himself to bring added insight and optimized decision making to our customer daily logistics needs.
Alex’s favorite part of his work is solving the unique questions, challenges and requests from customers utilizing data, while helping them harness the power of information. He thrives when partnering with each client to bring a unique value to their individual needs.
A native New Yorker, Alex is the grandson of Horizon’s founder Anthony Leondis. He’s also a former NCAA soccer player, who still loves the sport as much as ever. Outside of work, he also enjoys traveling both the United States and other countries of the world, and is an avid supporter of charitable endeavors.
Ask Alex how he can help see your shipment through from deck to door at alexl@haf.com.
Export Manager
Pixie Gibbs is the Export Manager at Horizon Air Freight, and has been dedicated to our customers for over 28 years. Recently she played an essential role in coordinating an urgently-needed spares delivery from Louisiana, Missouri, and Florida to a ship stuck in Panamanian dry dock. She is an expert at continual communication, who truly enjoys interacting with our customers to fully understand beyond their most immediate problems.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Pixie’s favorite part of her work is moving around the office and warehouse, touching every critical aspect of the shipments she handles. It’s part of what helps her do the absolute best for our customers each day.
A native of Trinidad and Tabago, Pixie currently lives in Queens, NYC. Outside of work, she enjoys running and biking — when she isn’t planning and enjoying family get-togethers. If your birthday’s coming, Pixie is also the one to help celebrate, as those are her favorite.
Ask Pixie how she can help see your shipment through from deck to door at jfkpixie@haf.com.
Executive VP of Operations
James “Jimmy” Gassert is Executive Vice President at Horizon Air Freight, and has spent his 40 year career in our offices. He is deeply dedicated to satisfying and exceeding customer expectations by solving not just the daily — but the difficult.
Jimmy’s favorite part of work is leaving each day knowing that all known issues will be solved, whether that’s at 5:00 PM or 10:00 PM. He is a beloved and dedicated team player, who finds his own success in aiding the success of others.
A native resident of Long Island, Jimmy is an avid music fan of all genres, and serves in the energizing role of our “unofficially official” office DJ. Outside of work, he’s also a classic car enthusiast (his favorite is the 1960’s Lincoln Continental from the 1960’s with the suicide doors), and provides his handyman skills for friends and family.
Ask Jimmy how he can help see your shipment through from deck to door at jfkjimmy@haf.com.
International Cruise Operations Manager
Bridget is Senior Account Manager at Horizon Air Freight, whose 30 years of combined experience in the transportation industry have taught her to treat every shipment as though it is the most important one. She excels at guiding customers through every step of the shipment process, and recently navigated a complicated 125,000 kilo shipment from Japan to South Korea in only 10 days.
About her work, Bridget says her favorite part is getting to learn so much from our customers about their different cultures all over the world.
A native New Yorker, Bridget currently resides in Long Island, NY. Outside of work, she enjoys Broadway shows, boating, and traveling with her family.