Effective April 28, Rick O’Dell, Saia’s chief executive officer (CEO) since 2006, will assume the role of non-executive chairman of Saia’s Board of Directors as current Board Chairman Bert Trucksess relinquishes his duties and retires after 28 years of affiliation with Saia. Fritz Holzgrefe will be named Saia president and chief executive officer.

“First, I would like to express my appreciation to Bert for his almost three decades of leadership. Secondly, I would like to say what an honor it has been to serve as Saia’s president and chief executive officer over the years. Some years were much better than others as this is certainly a challenging industry requiring us to always collaborate with one another and maintain strong core values to be successful,” stated Rick. “I will certainly miss the regular interaction with so many great Saia team members. The company is in a great position and has a bright future. I look forward to continuing to contribute in my new role as chairman of the board. Please join me in congratulating Fritz on his upcoming appointment.”

Fritz joined the company as chief financial officer (CFO) in 2014 and transitioned to the role of president and chief operating officer in January 2019. Prior to his time at Saia, his career included tenure in industrial and food processing along with financial advisory services and commercial banking.

Doug Col, vice president and CFO; Ray Ramu, executive vice president and chief customer officer; Paul Peck, executive vice president of Operations; Karla Staver, vice president of Safety and Human Resources; Rohit Lal, vice president and chief information officer; and Cris Burgum, vice president of Maintenance and Properties, will report to Fritz.

“I am humbled by the opportunity to lead our dynamic organization,” said Fritz. “Saia’s success under Bert and Rick’s leadership is unquestioned and with a constant focus on the customer, I look forward to keeping Saia on a path of continued growth and improving profitability, benefitting all of our stakeholders. I look forward to working with Rick, our board and all of our employees as we move from our first century of success into our next.”