The Airforwarders Association (AfA) has appointed Steve Smith as its new Chief Executive Officer, ending Brandon Fried's 21-year tenure at the head of the US forwarder lobby group.

Fried will remain with the association during a transition period, allowing Smith to assume responsibility gradually as the AfA continues its advocacy work in Washington. The handover marks the first leadership change at the organisation in more than two decades — a span in which Fried shaped the AfA into a recognised voice for air freight forwarders on Capitol Hill.

Smith arrives with a track record that spans both humanitarian logistics and commercial aviation. He spent 13 years as President and Chief Executive Officer of Airlink, the nonprofit that connects airlines to disaster relief, and before that held senior commercial roles at Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace.

"Steve brings extensive aviation and logistics experience, a strong understanding of air cargo, and established relationships across all areas of the industry," said Fried, the outgoing Executive Director. "He understands the issues affecting the industry and the importance of engaging members, and I am confident he is well-placed to lead the AfA and build on the work we have done over the past two decades."

The numbers behind Smith's Airlink tenure are substantial. He grew the organisation from a one-person startup into a nonprofit with revenue of almost US$20 million, coordinating with more than 50 airlines and logistics companies and 250 humanitarian groups across 100 countries. Under his leadership, Airlink responded to more than 200 disasters and crises and helped more than 80 million people in need.

Smith built the operational framework and infrastructure connecting the aviation industry to humanitarian relief where none had previously existed — work that reshaped how airlines, logistics providers and aid organisations coordinate crisis response. He directed the organisation's operations during major global disruptions including COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine war, the Ebola outbreak and the 2023 Türkiye earthquake. He has also served as a NATO spokesperson and subject matter expert on public and private sector crisis response.

That background is relevant to forwarders. Smith takes the helm at a moment when the issues he managed at Airlink — geopolitical disruption and supply chain strain — sit at the top of the AfA's advocacy agenda.

"The work of the AfA has rarely been more important, with shifting trade policy, geopolitical disruption, and aging infrastructure adding pressure on supply chains that are already stretched," Smith said in his first statement as incoming CEO. "Forwarders need greater predictability as they navigate these pressures, and investment in the infrastructure that keeps it moving."

Smith pointed to the relationship he built with Fried over many years and pledged continuity alongside fresh engagement with the membership. "Over the many years that Brandon and I have known each other, he has built a strong association with an influential voice, and I want to thank him for his dedicated service," Smith said. "I look forward to working alongside the AfA team, meeting more members, and ensuring forwarders continue to have an effective voice in Washington and across an industry that sits at the center of billions of dollars in global trade every day."

For AfA members — largely small and mid-sized US forwarders — the appointment signals an emphasis on crisis-tested coordination and airline relationships at a time when capacity, infrastructure investment and trade policy dominate the policy debate. The phased transition with Fried staying on suggests the association wants to preserve institutional influence in Washington while Smith builds his member engagement.

With trade policy still shifting and infrastructure funding debates unresolved, Smith's first months will likely define how forcefully the AfA pushes the predictability agenda he has already placed at the centre of his mandate.