Frank Dreeke

Born September 1, 1959, in Bremen

1979 Trained as a shipping clerk at Gebrüder Specht

1984 Management training at Lykes Lines, New Orleans

1985 Studies in Business Administration at DAV Bremen

1987 Senior positions at Paul Günther and Network Container Freight Agency

1996 General Manager Central Europe, Sea-Land

1999 Country Manager Germany, Maersk Line

2004 Managing Partner, EKB Container Logistics, Bremen

2013 CEO at BLG LOGISTICS Group

2025 Chairman of the Presidium, German Transport Forum (DVF)

2025 Inducted into the Logistics Hall of Fame

Mandates and Honorary Positions

• President of the Central Association of German Seaport Operators
• Presidium and Chairman of the German Transport Forum
• Deputy Chairman of the Federal Logistics Association
• Vice President of the Bremen Chamber of Commerce – IHK Bremen and Bremerhaven
• Member of the Sparkasse Bremen Finance Holding
• Member of the Foundation Board Bremer Herzen
• Member of the UCS Entrepreneur Colloquium for Forwarding
• Honorary Consul of the Republic of Finland for Bremen and parts of Lower Saxony
• Member of the Advisory Board Duisport

• Frank Dreeke represents a holistic approach. His contributions to further development of logistics lie in numerous, sometimes quiet but decisive initiatives. He opened ports, enabled cooperation, broke up monopolies, redistributed risks, advanced sustainability, and consistently addressed shortcomings directly.
• His passion for logistics began early: his father, Herbert Dreeke, worked for 47 years at BLG LOGISTICS and brought the six-year-old Frank to a historic event. On May 5, 1966, Dreeke witnessed the first full-container ship, MS “Fairland,” being handled at the Port of Bremen – a key moment that foreshadowed his future career.
• Dreeke’s professional career began at the Network Container Freight Agency, the former Sea-Land Germany agency and part of the Paul Günther Group. He then joined the shipping company Sea-Land, serving as General Manager Central Europe. He later held positions at Maersk Line, then the largest container shipping company, and at Bremer EKB Container Logistics, before being appointed to the board of BLG LOGISTICS GROUP in 2013, where he served as CEO until 2024.
• Frank Dreeke has shaped the German port and logistics landscape far beyond his corporate roles. As Managing Director Central Europe in the late 1990s, he initiated a quiet revolution that fundamentally changed collaboration between shipping lines, terminal operators, and overseas freight forwarders. Previously, relations were often tense and marked by distrust. U.S. shipping companies kept forwarders at a distance, and ports had little incentive for cooperation. Dreeke recognized the value of shared interests: forwarders could offer carriers consolidated volumes and benefit from lower rates, while shipping companies avoided building their own extensive sales networks. On his initiative, in 1998, BLG (50 percent) and the shipping lines Maersk Line and Sea-Land (each 25 percent) founded NTB North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven GmbH. The first vessel, the “Sealand Integrity,” was handled on April 1, 1999. The project became a milestone and blueprint, not only for future joint ventures but also for opening German ports to shipping companies.
• In 2013, Dreeke joined the BLG board and again demonstrated a keen sense for turning points. He identified contract logistics as the greatest growth field and leveraged the mid-2010s e-commerce boom for technological investment. While other logistics companies assumed high risks and carried full capital burdens themselves, Dreeke chose a different model: BLG acted as operator, while property and technology were provided by customers.
• By expanding BLG Autorail, his in-house rail company, he challenged the Deutsche Bahn monopoly in automotive logistics, investing in new wagon fleets, efficient structures, and establishing real competition on the rails for the first time. For the automotive industry, this meant more flexibility and, environmentally, a reduction in emissions: a car train emits about 80 percent less per transported vehicle per kilometer than a truck. This justified the consistent expansion of hinterland rail transport.
• Dreeke also placed sustainability on the logistics agenda early and comprehensively – from property and operations to transport. For him, it was never just public debate but a matter of efficiency. 
• Tangible initiatives included route optimization on terminals, on-site wind power, hybrid container handlers, and electric trucks. Landmark projects under his leadership include BLG´s C3 Bremen – with 80,000 square meters of solar panels, Germany’s largest rooftop solar installation. He also consistently implemented future-proof solutions in handling technologies, warehouse automation, and intermodal transport.
• Frank Dreeke is known for his clear stance – both as a corporate leader and as a representative in the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS) and the German Transport Forum (DVF). He highlighted the systemic importance of ports, drew attention to structural deficiencies, and contributed to political decisions.

Photos: Sebastian Gabsch/Logistics Hall of Fame