Bradford Wilkins brings over a decade of experience as freight technology company sets sights on 40,000 square-foot Chicago office
Loadsmart, a leading freight technology company, announced that Bradford Wilkins has been named its first ever chief people officer. Timed with Loadsmart’s rapid expansion, Wilkins brings over a decade of experience working with high-growth companies in disruptive industries. He will be responsible for building on the company’s healthy mix of technology and logistics experience with an emphasis on organizational culture. This will include managing recruitment and employee retention, as well as maximizing return-on-investment to mitigate risk.
“I was drawn to Loadsmart by its core values of results, curiosity and clarity,” said Wilkins. “We’re witnessing a revolution unfold in the transportation industry that is impossible to ignore, as evidenced by Loadsmart’s considerable revenue growth, and I couldn’t be more excited to join the team in shaping the future of freight during this pivotal moment.”
Since the start of 2021, Loadsmart has increased its number of employees by 140%, driven largely by widespread freight technology adoption. To keep up with demand, it is hiring 200 new positions in the second half of the year—projecting a 152% jump in year-over-year employee count—as well as procuring a brand new 40,000 square foot office in Chicago.
Most recently, Wilkins served as vice president of people at Collibra, a data intelligence company, where he spearheaded the talent management function. Prior to Collibra, Wilkins developed and led the global People Solutions function for approximately 7,500 employees as chief people officer at tech-enabled financial services company Altisource. Earlier in his career, Wilkins was responsible for talent management at Adcap Network Systems, WSE and other hyper-growth technology companies. He has been recognized as a Top 100 HR Influencer by Engadedly, a Top 25 HR Executive Under 40 by Workforce Magazine, and named a Human Resources Rising Star by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
“We’re growing exponentially—from 167 employees at the end of 2019 to 500 today—and we’re thrilled to have a dynamic leader like Brad at the helm of our team. He brings a unique skill set and fresh perspective during a period of significant transformation,” said Felipe Capella, co-founder and co-CEO of Loadsmart. “The expansion of our employee base coincides with our business success, as reflected by our 232% year-over-year revenue growth.”
So far, Wilkins has added three new members to Loadsmart’s executive leadership bench. Near term, he will work with go-to-market teams to implement his CLEAR automatic career progressions strategy. Other areas of focus include: bringing a data- and ROI-driven approach to development and coaching programs; establishing a new competency and skills framework centered around strength-based performance management; and building the total rewards to recognize and retain top talent.
