The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced the appointment of Marianna Valentina Abplanalp as its new Head of Special Cargo, effective May 2026. Based in Geneva, Abplanalp will steer the association’s strategic direction across specialised cargo segments, reinforcing IATA’s focus on high-value, time-sensitive, and complex logistics verticals.
Her appointment comes at a time when global air cargo continues to diversify, with increasing demand for tailored logistics solutions across sectors such as semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, perishables, and dangerous goods. In her new role, Abplanalp is expected to leverage her extensive cross-functional experience to enhance industry standards, improve operational frameworks, and support the evolving needs of specialised cargo stakeholders worldwide.
Abplanalp joins IATA after more than a decade at Kuehne+Nagel, where she held a series of senior leadership roles from 2016 to 2026. Most recently, she served as Vice President, Global Air Logistics, Semicon and Cloud Product, overseeing complex supply chain solutions for high-tech industries. Her portfolio included the development and management of global air logistics products, with a particular focus on semiconductor supply chains and cloud infrastructure logistics two sectors that have seen exponential growth and strategic importance in recent years.
During her tenure at Kuehne+Nagel, Abplanalp also held key roles as Global Product Manager for Time Critical and Global Product Development Manager for Air Logistics. In these positions, she was instrumental in designing and implementing time-sensitive transportation solutions, optimizing product offerings, and driving innovation across air freight services. Her work consistently intersected with specialised cargo categories, requiring precision, compliance, and agility in execution.
Notably, Abplanalp’s career includes an earlier tenure at IATA’s Montreal office from 2012 to 2014, where she was involved in Integrated Settlement Systems operations. Her responsibilities encompassed systems monitoring, software testing, airline migration support, customer service processes, and coordination of revenue accounting functions providing her with a foundational understanding of the association’s operational ecosystem.
She began her career in Italy with P&B Logistica e Spedizioni, managing import and export operations across diverse cargo categories, including luxury goods, perishables, pharmaceuticals, and dangerous goods. Her role also involved handling customs documentation and coordinating freight movements, laying the groundwork for her expertise in specialised logistics.
With over 15 years of experience spanning air cargo, transportation management, and global product development, Abplanalp brings a comprehensive perspective to IATA’s special cargo division. Her appointment signals a continued commitment by the association to strengthen sector-specific cargo initiatives and address the increasing complexity of global supply chains.
