ADDISON, Texas, Sept. 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Daseke, Inc. (NASDAQ: DSKE), the premier North American transportation solutions specialist dedicated to servicing challenging industrial end-markets, announced today that it has named Aaron Coley as the Company’s new Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, effective October 28th of this year. In this role, Mr. Coley will be responsible for managing all treasury, accounting, tax, investor relations, financial planning and analysis, and capital market activities, and will be charged with managing the Company’s balance sheet and improving its corporate finance capabilities. Additionally, Mr. Coley’s significant experience will meaningfully contribute to Daseke’s ongoing transformation, operational and cost improvement plans.
Jonathan Shepko, Chief Executive Officer of Daseke, said, “I am extremely pleased to have Aaron join the Daseke team as we look to leverage our differentiated assets and execute our business strategy to unlock our next phase of growth and shareholder value creation. Aaron’s extensive industry experience and track record of executive success as a CFO will drive great value for both the Company and our leadership team. Aaron comes to Daseke with more than a decade of direct CFO experience, having most recently served as a leader within the petroleum distribution and logistics industry with Pilot Thomas Logistics. His impressive financial leadership, capital allocation acumen, success driving strategic growth for portfolio companies, and direct industry experience make Aaron an excellent addition to the Daseke team.”
Mr. Coley added, “I am thrilled to join the Daseke leadership team and serve the Company and its shareholders as CFO. Daseke holds a unique competitive position and an attractive, differentiated portfolio within the trucking space, giving the organization a distinct opportunity to drive significant value as well as sustainable earnings growth. I look forward to working alongside Daseke’s deep bench of transportation and logistics professionals to drive continued operational excellence and value-enhancing capital deployment as we further execute the Company’s strategy and roadmap for long-term growth.”
Mr. Coley brings over 24 years of business experience and 11 years of experience as a Chief Financial Officer, most recently with Pilot Thomas Logistics, a North American petroleum distribution and services business with a fleet of over 3,000 trucks and 80 warehouses across the country, a role which he has held since January 2018. Prior to that, from April 2016 to January 2018, Mr. Coley served as the Chief Financial Officer for Jones Companies, LLC, a single-family office with operating companies spanning various industries, including lumber, recycling, equipment rental and trucking/logistics. From 2011 to 2016, Mr. Coley was a Vice-President for BG Group, plc where he worked in two joint ventures: first, as the Chief Financial Officer of TGGT Midstream and then, as the Chief Financial Officer of BG Trinidad & Tobago, before BG Group’s sale to Royal Dutch Shell in 2016. Prior to BG Group, plc, Mr. Coley was a Managing Director at FTI Consulting, Inc., providing interim management, lender and transaction advisory services. Mr. Coley began his career in public accounting first at Weaver and Tidwell, LLP and then PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as an assurance manager. Mr. Coley is a Certified Public Accountant. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from Texas Christian University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategy and Innovation from Oxford University.
In connection with Mr. Coley’s appointment as the Company’s CFO, on September 22, 2022, he and the Company entered into an Employment Agreement (the “Employment Agreement”). In connection with, and as a material inducement for, his entering into employment as the Company’s CFO, Mr. Coley will be granted the following awards, subject and conditioned upon his commencement of employment with the Company: (1) a performance stock unit award with respect to 68,572 shares of the Company’s common stock that will time-vest on December 31, 2025 and performance-vest based on the achievement of specified performance conditions; (2) a restricted stock unit award with respect to 45,714 shares of the Company’s common stock that will vest in substantially equal installments on the first three anniversaries of March 1, 2023; and (3) a restricted stock unit award with respect to 225,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, half of which will vest on the first anniversary of the effective date of the Employment Agreement and half of which will vest on the second anniversary of the effective date of the Employment Agreement, in each case subject to Mr. Coley’s continued employment. Such awards will be granted pursuant to the employment inducement exemption provided by Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).
Fiscal 2022 Outlook
For the full year, we continue to anticipate 12% to 15% higher revenue year-over-year, and a 5% to 10% year-over-year adjusted EBITDA improvement. We look forward to discussing more on the Q3 earnings call.
About Daseke, Inc.
Daseke, Inc. is the premier North American transportation solutions specialist dedicated to servicing challenging industrial end-markets. Daseke offers comprehensive, best-in-class services to a diversified portfolio of many of North America’s most respected industrial shippers. For more information, please visit www.daseke.com.
