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Directly in the path of geopolitical upheaval, but still on track and working on prosperity for the future – DHL Freight Central Eastern Southern Europe and Americas, Middle East, Africa is meeting all challenges head on. It is hard to think of a more diverse working environment than in DHL Freight CESE&AMEA. We are strung out across 18 countries and three different continents with a lot of cultural differences, but yet everything works. How so? One of the backbones is the very strong team thinking and commitment brought in by the respective country managements. Long job tenures are a significant factor in achieving this, some colleagues have known their respective counterparts now for ten years or more. That makes for strong bonds, quick reaction times to new situations and a common company spirit. This is especially valuable in the trying times our region is going through at the moment.
Times of conflict
The geopolitical upheaval surrounding the eastern periphery of Europe is making business dealings challenging, to say the least. With the sanctions imposed on Russia, the conflict within the Ukraine and the occasional difficulties in doing cross-border-trade with Turkey, our revenue figures had to take a hit. But the collective effort of everybody involved did soften the blow considerably. That made sure that we are still the region with the best return – a fact of which I am very proud. But that is nothing to dwell on, as we have to work hard to achieve a goal that we missed the last two years, that is to attain continuous growth. So we need to get the US back on track and see an all-out effort to make special projects, which often bring a lot of publicity with them, a success. An example of that is the EXPO 2017, taken care of with a deep commitment by the team in Kazakhstan.
System changes
Globally speaking, to be ready for the future we at DHL Freight also need to align our internal structures and systems to upcoming challenges. One important aim is to harmonize the process and IT-Landscape without interrupting the day-to-day routine. That means the existing IT has to be kept working flawlessly while launching and – wherever possible – really pushing the Freight transformation E4U. The best transition from one system to another is the one that nobody really notices until they boot up their systems and notice a new setup. Parallel to this we are dealing with plenty of new ideas and fresh innovations to support our Freight 2020 initiatives. All this we will tackle with all our energy and not only retain our market position, but extend on it. And all the while we should remember the basic fact: Logistics and their everyday challenges can be fun – so let’s have it, for our customers and colleagues benefit! Stefano Arganese, CEO DHL Freight Central Eastern Southern Europe and Americas, Middle East, Africa (CESE&AMEA)
