GTD Solution, the Maersk business unit responsible for TradeLens, the blockchain-powered global trade platform, has named Kim Spalding as its new CEO, effective April 4.

Spalding replaces Mike White, who is retiring at the end of the month. She joins from Google, where she most recently served as general manager and product leader for local business advertising and emerging markets. Before that, she held the position of COO of San Francisco-based startup Homejoy. From 2008 to 2015, Spalding held several leadership roles at Starbucks, including vice-president of operations and vice president of product, global coffee.

Welcoming Spalding to the role, Vincent Clerc, CEO of ocean and logistics at Maersk, says: “After a successful ramp-up where several industry leaders have joined TradeLens, the focus now shifts towards enhancing the customer experience and monetising the platform. Kim’s track record and CV speaks for itself, and we consider her as the evident candidate to take over the baton.”

Outgoing CEO White began his career at P&O Nedlloyd in 1990, before the company was acquired by Maersk in 2005. Prior to taking on the role of CEO of GTD Solutions and TradeLens, he served for eight years as president of Maersk Line’s liner business in North America.

Over the past four years, White has led TradeLens’ journey from its inception as a collaboration between Maersk and IBM to an open and neutral supply chain platform with around 1,000 partners, companies and operators across the transport and shipping industry.

In February, the platform completed its first end-to-end paperless trade finance transaction, while last month saw it link up with electronic bill of lading provider Bolero to connect their respective networks of banks, corporates and supply chain participants.