Jeff Silver, Chief Executive Officer
After dominating the 3PL logistics industry in the 1980s and 90s with American Backhaulers, Inc., the second largest North American freight brokerage, Jeff Silver took a 5-year hiatus to raise his seven kids, pursue an MBA from Michigan as well as a Masters of Engineering in Logistics from MIT. Yes, he’s really smart. He speaks a bunch of languages and has traveled the world. He returned to the scene in 2006 and started Coyote in order to bring a better experience to the transportation industry. Coyote currently holds the world record for the fastest growing 3PL in modern history. We know his name is Silver, but around here, we think he should change it to Gold.
Marianne Silver, Chief Human Resource Officer
If it were possible to harness pure Coyote passion and make it take human form, it would be in the shape of Marianne Silver. She is the heart of Coyote. She bleeds green. She’s the Mama Coyote and the defender of Coyote culture. She knows exactly what type of person belongs here and she will find you…and you will work here…and you will love it. Expect a phone call any day now.
Chris Pickett, Chief Strategy Officer
Jeff Silver used to lean heavily on grad school colleagues Chris Pickett and Bill Driegert during their logistics Masters program at MIT. Silver bought the beer and pizza and the other guys did most of the work. So it was a no brainer that Pickett was Silver’s pick as Coyote CSO. It was a daunting task recruiting a Virginia Tech-educated Industrial Engineer, Andersen Consulting-trained strategist and MIT brainiac with an MBA from Georgia Tech, but the deal was sealed in November 2006. Pickett has since led Coyote’s strategic operations and has dramatically impacted the company’s bottom line every step of the way.
Bill Driegert, Vice President, Innovation
What do you get when you combine degrees from SMU, MIT, and University of Chicago? You get the VP of Innovation for the fastest growing logistics company in North America. Driegert has a serious crush on big ideas. And we are pretty sure that he’s the smartest guy in the entire industry. When he’s not plotting data points and Coyote’s next move, he can be found playing monster with his two-year-old daughter. Or racing mountain bikes. Or playing drums. Or rebuilding motorcycles…
Jonathan Sisler, Chief Financial Officer
Coyote acquired General Freight Services in 2008 and the numbers man behind the deal at the same time. Sisler earned a B.S. in Accountancy from the University of Florida and completed the Master of Accountancy program at Auburn University. He has been on the front line directing and scaling Coyote’s freakish long-term growth. In 2008, he secured a line of credit ¬– a nearly impossible feat at the time. He’s that good. And he’s still a big fan of Tim Tebow even though he cried on national TV.
Eddie Leshin, Chief Operating Officer
Eddie Leshin is a voice of reason; a very, very loud voice of reason. Leshin relentlessly analyzes the business and doesn’t stop until he comes up with solutions that make sense to him and to everyone around him. He is an American Backhaulers veteran and was instrumental in the company’s growth from a $35 million company to a $300 million company. He’s a father of 3, which is a good thing, because he’s also a father figure to hundreds more at Coyote.
Scott Schara, Vice President, Enterprise Sales
From the moment you meet Scott Schara, you want to work with him. You want to be on his team. He has been on a few other teams before – at Home Depot, and at a major Intermodal services provider, and gained valuable experience and perspectives from both. In 2010 he was tasked with managing the Coyote Enterprise Sales division. The result is one of the strongest, most powerful sales teams in the industry. They are a fully functioning family and a force to be reckoned with.
Andrew Haverkampf, Chief Business Development Officer
Andrew Haverkampf owns the saying, “Been there, done that”. He was part of the 1990s American Backhaulers team. He knows the business inside and out. He’s the ultimate optimist and spreads his enthusiasm wherever he goes – and he goes all over the place meeting with customers to introduce them to Coyote’s magic. He’s a workhorse. He’s inspiring, and he is integral in landing Coyote’s new business.
Jodi Navta, Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Navta is a Michigan jock (swimming), a Northwestern nerd (MS in Journalism), and a former Sports Illustrated (no not swimsuit model…) photo editor. She has more than 10 years of entrepreneurial management, marketing and operations experience. She’s a steadfast project manager and an explosive visionary. In fact, she’s a lot of things that are normally mutually exclusive. She’s a rare breed.
Eric Harrison, Chief Technology Officer
He likes the fact that practically nobody around here knows what he does. That’s because you don’t need to know what he does until something goes wrong…which is practically never. He’s the one that makes sure that Coyote’s phenomenal system, BAZOOKA, never goes down. Ever. Harrison was an essential part of American Backhaulers, and he is just as integral to Coyote. We couldn’t get along without him.
Michal Yariv, Chief Information Officer
Like many people on the executive team, Michal has been part of the scene since the early American Backhaulers days. She left the beautiful city of Seattle behind and moved to Chicago to join Coyote. She’s the maniac behind Coyote’s real-time tracking system. She is the customer-facing part of Coyote technology, and she delivers what she promises. She is a Northwestern academic at heart, and has an impressive pedigree of employers, but if you ask her for her favorite, we’re confident of Coyote’s standing.
Al Samouelian, Director, Sales Operations
Being competitive and giving is a rare combination, but that’s Al. He was Big Ten educated and has a big heart. The man brings clarity and focus to almost any situation, which is understandable considering that over the course of his career he’s been CFO, Controller, Director of Acquisitions, Sales Operations and Strategy for multiple companies in the industry. In a moment’s notice, he has the ability to bring internal order and structure to Coyote’s aggressive growth plan.
Mark Ford, Executive Vice President, Carrier Sales
It’s debatable whether Coyote would have been launched in 2006 without Mark Ford on the team. To say he’s integral is an understatement. He’s a master broker, a professional tailgater, and an avid Michigan State fan. Go Green, Go White. He’s the Field General for Coyote’s massive army of carrier specialists. When he has a goal, nothing stops him.
Tim Foersom , Vice President, Intermodal
Foersom is the Michael Jordan of Intermodal. He’s a London born, Chicago raised, Kellogg MBA, with serious tendencies toward food and wine excellence. He’s an expert relationship builder. His secret is to constantly challenge people. The result is a solid team leader with steel reinforcement.
Tim King, Executive Vice President, Pricing & Capacity
Archaeology and Logistics have only one thing in common: Tim King. King is still digging. But instead of excavating 2000 year-old cemeteries, he mines data in pursuit of perfecting pricing and capacity for Coyote. So far his track record rocks (as does his record in running Marathons – he finished the New York Marathon in 2:45). He names the price and we’re okay with that.
Danny Esplin, Vice President, Enterprise Operations
Traders crave adrenaline. So in many ways, Coyote is Esplin’s enabler. The high energy, fast-pace atmosphere here makes him feel right at home. He spent 10 years at the CBOE and CBOT and then went into banking for 3 years before coming to Coyote. He loves Coyote because of the fresh challenges presented to him each day. He handles pressure effortlessly, and our customers benefit the most because of it.