Eddie Stewart has named a longtime lieutenant to be president of Stewart Transportation Solutions, the company that handles event transportation for corporate customers, and moved into the CEO role.

The promotion of Karen Robbins from vice president comes as Stewart ramps up the operations of sister company Stewart Logistics Inc., which includes the new Stewart Parking Solutions venture that recently won a contract to manage the parking services at LP Field.

Stewart founded Stewart Transportation in 1990 and has since built a client base that includes Microsoft, State Farm and the Southeastern Conference. In a statement, the company said Robbins, who joined STS in 1996, has “played a pivotal role in STS’s expansion and development in the Seattle market, which includes operations for Microsoft and other corporate clients.”

Robbins has been involved in the planning and execution of more than 550 events and in 2008 won Microsoft’s “Above and Beyond” award for excellence in customer service. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and a resident of Murfreesboro.