John A. Gurrad, MOL America’s former VP for business planning and e-Commerce, passed away on 2 June. Gurrad’s 37-year career in the shipping industry included 10 years at MOL in Concord, Calif. He joined the company in August 1998 and retired in October 2008.
Gurrad, 68, directed MOL’s business planning activities, advertising and marketing communications and business process management. Under his guidance, MOL received numerous industry awards for marketing and advertising excellence.
Prior to joining MOL, Gurrad spent 19 years with APL in Oakland, Calif., and served as assistant to the chairman of the board until his departure in 1998. Gurrad’s career also included positions as senior economist for Matson Research Corp., Manalytics, and Teknekron, and manager of project financing for Kaiser Engineers.
Gurrad earned his undergraduate degree in economics from San Diego State University in 1964 and his master’s in economics in 1966. He was also active in the Bay Area community and served as a board member for both the Oakland Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Oakland International Trade Center.
Gurrad is survived by his wife, Carol; their three daughters, Alexis Hinds, Alison Atkinson and Courtney Barnes; and five grandchildren.
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