Werner Enterprises announced it will groom President and Chief Operating Officer Derek Leathers for an even larger role in the company, setting the stage for a non-family member to take the helm for the first time since it was founded by C.L. Werner in 1956.

Several weeks ago, the Omaha, Neb.-based company's board of directors elected C.L. Werner chairman after Gary Werner stepped down from that role.

Late last week, Greg Werner has announced is retiring as CEO, having been in that role since 2007. As a result, C.L. Werner has stepped back into the CEO role as well.

While Greg Werner will be transitioning out of the day to day responsibilities that come with the role of CEO, he will remain on the board.

Leathers, a frequent speaker at industry events, has worked in the transportation and logistics industry for over 20 years. At Werner, he helped establish the carrier's Mexico operations, has overseen all the asset operating groups, and led the launch of Werner Global Logistics. Before joining Werner in 1999, Leathers was one of the first foreign members of Mexico’s trucking association (CANACAR) and was based out of Mexico City for several years. He holds an Economics degree from Princeton University

Werner Enterprises is among the five largest truckload carriers in the United States and also offers freight management, truck brokerage, intermodal, and international services.