Shelley Simpson named J.B. Hunt’s next CEO

Roberts is replacing Kirk Thompson, current executive chairman, who is retiring from J.B. Hunt with Wayne Garrison. Both men will take newly formed board advisory roles as honorary founding directors. J.B. Hunt is No. 4 on the FleetOwner 500: For-Hire, ranking second among general freight carriers.

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"Shelley challenges us to be excellent and innovative and always in pursuit of customer value,” Roberts said in a statement on Thursday. “She will continue to remain focused on disciplined investments to drive appropriate returns and long-term growth for the benefit of our people, customers, and shareholders.” 

The changes are part of the company’s succession planning and board development to support future growth and shareholder confidence. The current CEO added that Simpson’s promotion will help to ensure J.B. Hunt’s “culture and innovative growth mindset that has been so vital to the success of our company remains strong and intact.” 

Simpson, 52, will take over for Roberts on July 1. Her board of directors election is scheduled to take place during the company’s shareholders’ meeting in April. The board also approved the retirements of Thompson and Garrison at the end of their current terms. According to a company announcement, the board approved their appointment as non-voting honorary founding directors.

“I am so happy to know Kirk and Wayne will remain involved as advisers beyond their service as directors, and I am excited to congratulate John and Shelley on their new leadership roles,” said Johnelle Hunt, co-founder of J.B. Hunt. “I care deeply about the long-term success of the company, and these changes give me great confidence in the company’s ability to continue to prosper well into the future.”

Shelley Simpson’s decades of fleet leadership 

Simpson has worked in various leadership roles at J.B. Hunt for nearly three decades. 

“J.B. Hunt is recognized as a leader in the transportation industry,” Simpson said this week. “We’re known for our highly talented and experienced people, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to work alongside the very best.” 

In 2007, Simpson helped found the fleet’s integrated capacity solutions and was named president of the business unit. She became chief marketing officer in 2011, taking on additional leadership roles when she became president of J.B. Hunt’s truckload business segment in 2014. 

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She was named chief commercial officer and president of highway services in 2017, leading the J.B. Hunt 360° platform launch and strategy. In 2020, Simpson took on more responsibilities for people and human resources before being named company president in 2022.

Simpson credited the outgoing J.B. Hunt executives for creating a growth culture at the company. “Kirk, Wayne, and John are not only great leaders, but they understand the importance of building great leaders and how that creates stability, opportunities for growth, and ultimately drives long-term success for a company,” she said. “They’ve grown a culture of integrity and respect, of innovation, safety, and excellence, and I am profoundly grateful for the impact they’ve had and will continue to have on the company.” 

Simpson was named the 2023 Influential Woman in Trucking by the Women in Trucking Association, which uses the award to recognize female role models and trailblazers in the trucking industry. 

“Shelley’s passion and leadership for this field, including her commitment to expanding gender diversity in transportation, have been evident throughout her nearly 30-year career,” Jennifer Hedrick, WIT’s president and CEO, said last year.

J.B. Hunt creates honorary founding directors

Along with announcing Simpson’s promotion, the carrier said it created the honorary founding director positions for Thompson, a director since 1985, and Garrison, a director since 1981, to help preserve the founding executives’ experience. Thompson joined the company in 1973 and served as president and chief executive from 1987 through 2010. Garrison joined the company in 1976, becoming its president in 1982 and chief executive in 1985; he served as board chairman from 1995 to 2010.

“As demonstrated by their long-standing dedication and service to the company, both Wayne and Kirk have substantial experience and institutional knowledge with respect to the company and its business, operations, governance, and market position that cannot be replaced,” Roberts said. “They have led the company as directors and executive officers through periods of exponential growth and success and remain highly regarded and trusted advisers in the eyes of management, the board, and the company’s largest shareholder and founder, Johnelle Hunt.” 

He added that the transportation company looks forward to “continuing to gain from their experiences of starting and running the company with the Hunt family for now over 50 years.”

Thompson and Garrison, who have not yet reached the board’s age limitations, do not plan to stand for re-election, according to the company announcement. In January 2024, the board welcomed Pat Ottensmeyer, former CEO and president of the Kansas City Southern Railroad, as a new independent director, following the addition of two other independent directors in recent years, Thad Hill and Persio Lisboa.

“These board and management changes reflect our commitment to developing strong leadership, listening to our stakeholders, and enhancing our corporate governance, particularly regarding board independence, while retaining the significant value our long-standing leaders provide,” Roberts said. “Through their decades of influence, Kirk and Wayne have instilled a culture of growth, leadership, respect, and success in the company’s management and employees during its over 60-year history. Retaining their guidance and influence supports the continuity and stability of the Hunt family’s founding ownership interest in the company.”