Logistics executive Bleu Hilburn is returning to Crowley Solutions as vice president of business development for all government services. In this role, Hilburn will develop strategies to build a customer pipeline, qualify opportunities, and manage all aspects of marketing, bid and capture management to drive growth and build deep relationships with government customers for Solutions. Hilburn, a 2015 Thomas Crowley Award winner, the company’s highest honor for employees, will start Aug. 31 and report to Shiju Zacharia, senior vice president and general manager, Crowley Solutions.
Hilburn played a leading role in Crowley’s successful bid to land the U.S. Transportation Command’s Defense Freight Transportation Services (DFTS) contract in 2016-17. In addition, he helped lead Crowley’s government response to the 2017 hurricanes, including relief and recovery efforts in Puerto Rico resulting from Hurricane Marine.
In advancing to leadership roles, including vice president at Crowley, Hilburn led logistics support in 2015 that was critical to relief efforts as part of Operation United Assistance in West Africa during the Ebola virus crisis. Crowley supplied emergency shipping, warehousing, trucking, stevedoring, customs brokerage and other logistics services in partnership with the U.S. government, including support for 3,000 deployed troops and 17 treatment centers.
“We are looking at further enhancing our growing global service offerings to government customers in the maritime, expeditionary logistics, supply chain, energy and technology domains to support our warfighters and first responders,” said Zacharia. “Bleu brings innovative ideas, customer-centric problem- solving and team-building skills to help us grow in these sectors.”
Hilburn joined Crowley in 2012 after a career in the U.S. Army as a transportation and logistics officer. He retired after battalion command as a lieutenant colonel. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marine transportation from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, a master’s degree in business administration from Nova Southeastern University and a master’s degree in military art and science from the United States Army Command and General Staff College.
Prior to rejoining Crowley, Hilburn was vice president of business development at American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier Group, a New Jersey-headquartered organization specializing in transportation, shipping and logistics, where he led several successful bids for large government contracts.
