Geert Ode has over 40 years of experience in international freight forwarding, logistics, and project management. He has worked extensively in logistics coordinator and project manager roles, handling complex international shipments involving ocean, air, and land transport. Some of his responsibilities have included negotiating competitive rates, managing imports/exports, resolving disputes, and adapting shipments to overcome logistical and infrastructure challenges. He has a track record of finding cost savings and efficiencies to improve profits and reduce risks for his employers.

1. Geert Ode
geertode@shaw.ca
Semi retired - accepting consultant and contract work
• Over 40 years in international freight forwarding and project handling
• General International Freight Forwarding, import and export, ocean, air, land – multimodal
• Project Freight Forwarding, over dimensional and heavy lift loads
• Legal and banking expertise, marine insurance and claim settlements
• Route and cargo surveys and logistic planning, worldwide
• Port supervision of vessels loading/discharge
• Competitive rate negotiator with transport suppliers worldwide
• Successfully handled contract / trade disputes and arbitrations
Expeditor / Logistics Coordinator
Rohde & Liesenfeld, Calgary A.B.
Contract for the duration of the Gibraltar Mines Expansion Project, McLeese Lake, B.C.
Co-ordinated the cargo (machinery and equipment) from all North American suppliers which included
close liaison with the suppliers/manufacturers, obtaining and inspecting the cargo details, packing lists,
invoices and customs papers – Nafta certificates for workability in regards to trucking arrangements and
customs clearance.
Project Manager
Bertling Logistics Inc., Houston, TX
(2 year contract in Vancouver B.C.)
• Project Manager for Bertling positioned at clients premises: Aker Kvaerner Chemetics, Vancouver B.C.
• Transport of oversized equipment and machinery of an Acid Elimination Plant from various worldwide origins to
Kazakhstan per truck, ship and rail.
• Arranged shipments of raw material, sheet metal from S. Africa, Korea, Italy and Sweden to the manufacturers
in Romania, Russia and China.
• Arranged the re-export of the “in bond” manufactured equipment and document neutralization.
• Worked in close liaison with the Engineering, Procurement, Expediting and Logistics departments of the client
and the manufacturers.
• Pre-planned and developed design changes to enable the movement of the equipment and carrying out
feasibility studies.
• Maintained all aspects of reporting, tracking, problem solving and communications associated with the
expediting, freight forwarding and procurement functions
Achievements
• Detected contractual problems and travelled to Kazakhstan - successfully negotiated with the consignee and
the L/C opening bank changing of the terms to a workable modus of operandi necessary due to the lack of
infrastructure in that country saving our client from potential costly problems.
• Sourced, negotiated competitive prices and bought used containers worldwide.
• Negotiated and obtained competitive ocean, truck and rail freight charges and transport routes.
• Advised clients of many potential problems in regards to their shipping and delivery terms which saved money,
time and disputes.
• Travelled to China to facilitate oversized/out of gauge equipment per rail via the border stations
Alashanko/Dostyk (different rail gauges between China and Kazakhstan) to central Kazakhstan.
• Negotiated with the rail ministries and the manufacturers to change the design of the equipment’s
loading and lifting configuration to enable the transportation.

2. Import and Warehouse Manager
Canadian Toys Vending Inc. Vancouver, Canada
• Managed the warehouse, storage, receiving, shipping, inventory and the import of merchandise from China.
• Serviced and repaired the vending machines.
• Advised operators in the “field” on machine service and repair.
Achievements
• Re-organized the warehouse, receiving storage, packaging and shipping procedures resulting in improved
efficiency.
• Saved money by stopping overpayments on shipping charges due to wrong interpretation of the contract
trading terms (INCOTERMS)
• Successfully negotiated lower ocean freight rates reducing cost and expenses resulting in improved profits.
• Successfully negotiated favourable procedures and pricing with FedEx reducing the Canada wide
distribution cost by 30% which further improved profits.
General Manager Shipping/Logistics, Risk/Claims Manager, Contract Execution Manager
Tirtamas Comexindo, Jakarta, Indonesia
International Shipping, Trading and Counter Trading.
• Managed the logistics of the overall organization throughout Asia and Europe.
• Developed transport routes and services to and from Russia, Central Siberia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan,
Turkmenistan, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Myanmar and Vietnam for container, break bulk and palm oil tanker
shipments
• Negotiated appropriate transport insurance coverage and favourable prompt claim settlements.
• Negotiated L/C documents with the banks and obtained fast payment.
Achievements
• Improved overall performance, provided better controls, implemented new systems, reduced costs and waste
which resulted in multimillion dollars of savings.
.
• Analyzed and improved shipping and payment procedures for the United Nations “Food For Oil” shipments to
Iraq by negotiating with the Iraqi Ministries and persuading them to accept more practical procedures.
Since most of the countries were third world countries not familiar with western systems and procedures,
this job was very much hands on necessitating personal meetings, negotiations etc. for agreements
resulting in extensive travel throughout Russia, the ex CIS countries, Vietnam, Myanmar, Iran,
Jordan, Iraq and Turkmenistan.
Consultant
Acted as Consultant on International shipping and trading, trade and payment terms, letter of credit,
International Banking and marketing for the B.C. Trade and Development Corp., and Tirtamas Comexindo.
Founding Member, Vice President, General Manager and Director
Allworld Shipping Ltd., Vancouver B.C.
Handled all aspects of the business administration. This included supervising and controlling the individual
departments and branch offices, financial management and general office management in addition to
sales, freight forwarding and staff training.
Education:
Graduated Business College in Hamburg/Germany
Graduated Apprenticeship at Kuehne & Nagel, Hamburg
Obtained Diploma of Freight Forwarding