IICL announces Dennis Lombardi will be named President in 2021

Steven Blust to transition to Senior Advisor

The Institute of International Container Lessors (IICL) announces that Dennis Lombardi will become president of the association, effective January 1, 2021. Mr. Lombardi replaces Steven R. Blust, who will be retiring from his role as president, but will stay on with IICL as a senior advisor. 

“Dennis Lombardi brings to this position the right balance of operations expertise, business acumen and extensive experience as an active advocate for the industry. We are confident he will serve as a strong leader who will guide the organization as the industry continues to evolve,” said Robert Sappio, Chairman, IICL. 

An industry veteran, Mr. Lombardi spent most of his 40-year career in various roles at the Port Authority of NY/NJ, including serving as the Deputy Director, Port Commerce, where he ran day-to-day operations for the department, negotiating, overseeing and advocating for extensive capital investments.

Upon retiring from the Port Authority, Mr. Lombardi spent the next five years on the executive leadership team of Romark Logistics, a third-party logistics company that specializes in cold chain, trucking and warehousing. Most recently, he launched his own consulting firm, Lusoco Consulting, and joined Global Logistics Development Partners, serving as an associate advising on maritime logistics opportunities.

"At this pivotal time in an already dynamic and ever-changing industry, I'm looking forward to working with the sophisticated IICL membership, all of whom are established industry leaders and trailblazers. With the challenges facing the global supply chain today, I'm committed to continuing the good work of the IICL and facilitating its growth and development. I'm also grateful that Steve Blust has agreed to stay on as senior advisor to ensure a seamless transition," said Mr. Lombardi. 

Mr. Lombardi succeeds Steve Blust, who will be retiring from the position of president after 14 years. “All of us at IICL are grateful for Steve’s leadership during his tenure as president. His diverse maritime and regulatory experience was critical to the growth and development of the organization and we appreciate that he will continue to serve our membership as a senior advisor,” said Mr. Sappio.

Former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission, Mr. Blust used his extensive background to lead a nimble organization developed to swiftly guide and support IICL members as they experienced global trade volume growth while facing unprecedented challenges, including increased regulatory initiatives, environmental compliance imperatives and a global pandemic.

In his previous role with the FMC, Mr. Blust honed his regulated industry expertise, which was called upon during his tenure as IICL president to find effective approaches to addressing regulatory matters. His background also helped Mr. Blust guide the institute’s membership through complicated issues, such as a counterfeit refrigerant emergence and the disruption of global financial markets. Mr. Blust’s cooperative approach to developing an agile organization  supported the membership in minimizing risk and adopting best practices to mitigate operational challenges.

“It has been a privilege and honor to serve as president of the IICL over that last 14 years, with its focused membership segments, each of which is a key component of the international container transport industry,” said Blust. “I was able to apply my diverse maritime industry and regulatory experience to provide the best advice, guidance and support to the IICL membership and staff in their efforts to improve the container and chassis leasing industry and international maritime trade. I look forward to working with Mr. Lombardi on a smooth transition and with the IICL members, officers and staff in the future in my new role.”