CHEP has formally integrated its Spain and Portugal operations under a unified regional structure, now operating as CHEP Iberia, effective January 1, 2026.
The move consolidates commercial, retail, asset productivity, and customer excellence functions under a single leadership framework designed to improve responsiveness and coordination across the Iberian Peninsula. The company says the change is intended to streamline decision-making and create a more customer-centered operating model in the region.
Under the new structure, several leadership appointments have been announced:
Paula Sardinha has been named Director of Customer Excellence Iberia
Rahul Hingorani will serve as Commercial Director Iberia
Vicente Vallina becomes Director of Retail & Asset Productivity Iberia
CHEP operates one of the world’s largest pallet pooling networks, serving producers, manufacturers, and retailers through established pallet pooling models designed to improve asset utilization and reduce waste. The integration brings Spain and Portugal under one coordinated management team, aligning commercial strategy, asset management, and service operations across both markets.
According to Javier Sánchez, Managing Director of CHEP Iberia, the goal is to shorten response times and strengthen customer collaboration. “This new structure allows us to shorten the distance with our customers so we can respond more quickly to their needs,” Sánchez said, noting that the organization aims to generate shared value across customers, employees, and the broader market.
Strategic Priorities in Iberia
CHEP outlined three primary objectives behind the restructuring:
Increase customer proximity and improve overall service experience
Reinforce market leadership through regional talent development and closer collaboration
Accelerate automation and digitalization to improve operational efficiency
The Iberian market has continued to evolve in recent years, with growing emphasis on supply chain visibility, asset productivity, and automation. CHEP’s regional integration appears designed to better align these priorities across cross-border retail and manufacturing customers operating in both Spain and Portugal.
The company indicated it will continue advancing digital initiatives and collaborative transport solutions, including last-mile optimization projects aimed at improving supply chain efficiency while supporting sustainability goals.
Broader Context
CHEP operates one of the world’s largest pallet and container pooling networks, serving producers, manufacturers, retailers, and logistics providers in more than 60 countries. Through its model of asset pooling, repair, and reuse, the company promotes circular supply chains designed to reduce waste and improve transport efficiency.
As part of the Brambles Group, CHEP manages approximately 347 million pallets and containers through a global network of more than 750 service centers and employs roughly 11,000 people worldwide, with major operations in Europe and North America.
The formation of CHEP Iberia reflects continued regional consolidation in European pallet pooling markets, where scale, automation, and customer integration increasingly shape competitive advantage.
Source: CHEP
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
