Knight Transportation Adds Robert Synowicki, Roberta Roberts Shank to Board
Robert Synowicki Jr. and Roberta “Sissie” Roberts Shank have joined Knight Transportation Inc.'s board of directors, according to the diversified truckload carrier.
Synowicki is a former president and chief financial officer of diversified truckload carrier Werner Enterprises Inc. and a former board member of American Trucking Associations and the Truckload Carriers Association.
Shank is CEO of Chas Roberts A/C and Plumbing, a Phoenix-based company with about 600 employees.
In addition, Donald Bliss, a director since 1995, retired from the board and was named a director emeritus in recognition of his substantial contributions, the company said.
Knight Transportation ranks No. 31 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers. Werner Enterprises is No.16.
Synowicki brings a wealth of trucking, information technology and general business experience to its board, the company said. He also served as Werner's chief operating officer, chief information officer and executive vice president of driver resources over more than 25 years with the company.
“Very few people in our industry have his depth and breadth of exposure to the critical areas of driver development, effective use of technology, accounting and operations,” Chairman Kevin Knight said in a statement.
Knight said, “Roberts’ experience leading her company through the rapid growth, downturn and comeback of the construction market, while adjusting its scale and regrowing profitability, will align nicely with our focus on cost control and stockholder returns.”
She is experienced in managing a workforce with distributed, mobile employees and substantial hiring and retention challenges, according to Phoenix-based Knight Transportation.
Knight also praised the contributions Bliss made to his company.
“Don joined the board just after our IPO, when we were a small, Southwestern-based carrier. Over the ensuing 21 years, Don helped guide us through expanding to nationwide service, opening up new business units, and transitioning from a family-run business to an industry leader with next-generation professional management," he said. "Throughout his tenure, Don insisted on both public company corporate governance and respect for the culture instilled originally by the Knight family. At age 83, Don deserves the right to slow down, and we are pleased and honored to have him move to a position as director emeritus."
