The Digital Transformation journey requires the repositioning of IT in the organisation. For Digital Transformation to succeed, IT must evolve from a cost centre to an integral part of the value chain towards the customer. Many asset-heavy companies transform into “technology” companies, in which data comes to substitute for many of the assets previously listed on the balance sheet, drives customer experience and allows the creation of new business models. As a result, many formerly outsourced or “bought” IT functions and solutions are brought in-house.

We discussed with IT leaders across industries how the choice between “making it” versus “buying it” has affected the IT makeup of their organisations, interactions with business stakeholders, and the impact on talent acquisition and retention.

Ahmet Hasanbeseoglu currently leads the digital transformation of the supply chain at Unilever, covering Russian-speaking countries, North Africa, the Middle East and Turkey. Prior he was CDO at Arcelik, a Turkish multinational and the third-largest household appliance maker in Europe. Prior to that, he worked for EY, Cisco, Arthur Andersen and 3M.

You come with a long background in technology advisory, and you have recently moved into operational transformation roles. What is your current role at Unilever?

I’m currently focused on digital factories, supply and demand planning, process automation through workflow integration, RPA (Process Automation with Software Robots), and e-commerce go-to-market projects. I also oversee digital projects in the areas of customer service, O2C and logistics operations. Digital disruptions are strongly felt in these areas as they directly impact consumers.

We do not talk of “supply chains” anymore, but of “value networks”.

I started in this new transformation role two years ago and built my team across the region from scratch. I report to the VP of the region and work cross-functionally across the whole organisation: with IT, Operations, Logistics, Sales and Marketing. I am responsible for creating a fully responsive, agile, data-driven and consumer-centric value network from supplier to point of sale.

We do not talk of “supply chains” anymore, but of “value networks”. Let me give an example. In order to meet changing demands during the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve extended our network further, to even reach the suppliers of our direct suppliers. A supplier of plastic bottles might suddenly experience problems sourcing raw materials which will directly impact our business, and we must anticipate and prevent this. At the same time, we’re developing new business models, for example whether we can sell directly to consumers.

How do you decide which technology to make and which to outsource?

The criteria for outsourcing or insourcing new technology are not fixed. Cost and service level agreements will set criteria for functions such as procurement, HR, and planning. On a different level, when we talk about digital platforms, the decision will not be driven by cost, but by the business value it will generate.

With the help of consultants, we perform process analyses to determine what is critical and what isn’t. We have strongly invested in developing the data science skills of our people. This has not only given people a chance to grow, but also gives us the capability to perform critical tasks in-house.

In the end we need to create a balance between in-house production and outsourcing, which is determined by the speed at which we can learn ourselves, and whether we can build the critical competency centres internally.

I must note that we prefer out-tasking to outsourcing. With the former, we keep operational responsibility and own the processes, and the contractual time horizons are shorter than with outsourcing.

We need to create a balance between in-house production and outsourcing, which is determined by the speed at which we can learn ourselves.

We recently did a POC (Proof of Concept) for a factory in Turkey to improve work safety through cameras and machine vision technology. We wanted automated alerts sent to plant and production manager in the event of a work safety violation. In this case, the accuracy of the technology is critical. We engaged with 3 vendors: 2 start-ups, and a large system integrator, and we invited each of them to do a technology proof of concept for one month. They all met the accuracy levels we required, and only then did we look at cost. One of the start-ups won the bid for the project, and we rolled it out world-wide. This is an example of a digital lighthouse project which focuses on fast implementation, transparent results, and contribution to transformation culture.

What skills and competencies are your team looking for?

Digital transformation requires that businesspeople become IT people, to some extent. I created a program to develop digital competencies to create what I call “super-users”. We now have 35 businesspeople completing a nine-week training. They are already bringing down the IT system analysis and user acceptance testing period from three months to the best possible scenario of two to three weeks.

Engaging businesspeople from the start increases their rate of adoption when they have co-created their own digital solutions.

We want those super-users to be able to use programming tools that require only a basic understanding of code, instead of needing to spend a month of their time with IT for business requirements gathering. This process should be done by the businesspeople, because they are able to create a simple app; they are the ones who know the processes the best, and they can subsequently define what they need in terms of data. We keep them highly engaged.

These businesspeople are my extended team – I have a digital team of product-owners who work with me to define the data requirements, and then we ask IT to find us a company who will make an MVP or prototype. Engaging businesspeople from the start increases their rate of adoption when they have co-created their own digital solutions, for example, predictive maintenance algorithms.

In order to achieve this, we needed to develop the four competencies that were missing:

• IoT skills that combine the physical and digital realms
• Data science and data modelling
• Digital process – automation of business processes through automation tools
• New business models skills – people who can work and act like a start-up through iteration towards Minimum Viable Products and pivoting.

We wrote a Request for Proposal and received a quote of USD 1.5 million for a digital factory design from a blue-chip technology advisory firm. Rather than paying that money to bring technology know-how in from the outside, we decided to do the design ourselves, and hired people with three to four years’ experience in digital factory design.

We also have an extended team of 35 people from different business functions, who have allocated 20-25% of their time to digital projects that align with my KPIs. For instance, if someone in planning is digitally competent and can provide the means for better inventory management and forecasting, this will directly impact the performance of our business.

We have developed this three-layer organisation to drive transformation, and people on each level are now starting to cross-fertilise knowledge and practices.

We are fortunate enough to be able to attract really good people, and I predict that they will become the future leaders in our business. The average age of my digital supply chain team is 28-29; they work on the implementation, the extended digital product team of the business provides the input, and we have a digital supply chain council of executive decision makers – directors and VPs – to set direction and strategy.

We have developed this three-layer organisation to drive transformation, and people on each level are now starting to cross-fertilise knowledge and practices. I am part of the council and built it for the region, not just for supply chain but also with other functions. The council, headed by the EVP of our region, can be compared to a steering committee where highly productive discussions between previously-siloed business units happen.

How did your HR business partners and talent acquisition adapt to these new requirements?

Our HR team recognises the need for our transformation, and is very supportive in ensuring that we have the right talent and provide the right development opportunities for our people. We have a program called “Flex” that helps us source resources from across the company in a transparent, flexible manner. Flex functions as an internal job portal where you can post open positions, and recruit colleagues from within the business for projects.

We also invest in human development through online training programs. One example is the citizen data scientist program we created: it consists of a 15-hour course in two levels, which realistically takes two to three days to complete, and after which a certificate is rewarded.

I asked our VP-level executives to take the course first, and two obtained a certification. One of the VPs shared the certificate in one of our online chat groups, and participation jumped.

Tech talent does not tend to think of working for a company like Unilever. Therefore, when I build my team, I identified around 200 professionals over a period of several weeks, and then shared the list with internal Talent Advisory to initiate the hiring.

We put ourselves on that road with a three-to-five-year vision, and have identified six skills that will get us to what I call the “The Programmable Enterprise”.

Forbes noted in 2001 that “now every company is a software company”. We put ourselves on that road with a three-to-five-year vision, and have identified six skills that will get us to what I call the “The Programmable Enterprise”. We have a plan to transform people from basic to advanced in each of six areas:

• Improve pace of action with tasks, agile tools and collaboration analytics
• Automate processes through robots and make self-driving decisions through workflows
• Connect the physical and digital world with IoT tools and smart products
• Interact with all internal and external stakeholders through voice, video and bots
• Maximise asset utilisation and build an asset sharing model
• Analyse data and translate it into value.

Developments in air mobility are closely followed by a large and global community of professionals. Most of the public buzz is about the potential for manned air mobility such as air taxis adding to human micro-mobility, with far less discussion of unmanned air mobility solutions and drones. However, it is clear that there is enormous scope for such unmanned vehicles, with many use cases to be explored.

Part of the problem has been the unclear regulatory framework for vehicles such as drones—especially in Europe, where numerous regulatory regimes are in place. However, things are changing; in mid-2019, a new European framework harmonised national legislation, opening up many new areas of opportunity for pioneering drone transportation. According to McKinsey, “there is still a significant hurdle that needs to be overcome—the lack of a system for unmanned aircraft traffic management (UTM).” [1]

“For a UTM system to function, air-mobility solutions must be equipped with critical technologies, such as detect-and-avoid systems and navigational tools for environments where GPS does not function¬—all of which will require significant investment and testing. Regulatory compliance will also present hurdles such as safety concerns.” [2]

“Some air mobility solutions, including freight-delivery drones and passenger-transport drones, must fly in the airspace commonly used by manned commercial flights and general aviation aircraft. This means stakeholders cannot create UTM in isolation; instead, they must develop an integrated airspace-management system—one that can help air-mobility solutions avoid obstacles in any airspace, and comply with the multiple systems that govern flight rules. Such an integrated system will be technically challenging, since today’s airspace relies on robust traffic-management systems, as well as highly trained pilots and air-traffic controllers who navigate within different levels of the national airspace and eliminate any conflicts within these zones. Conversely, most future UTM solutions will automate many tasks, with human intervention limited to emergencies. 

With these constraints, the current role of drones used in commercial operations is limited. “The most mature unmanned-aerial-systems (UAS) applications—and the only ones where drones are widely used in either the corporate or the consumer sector—involve short-range surveillance, and the resulting photographs and videos.”[3]

However, there is no reason that the commercial use of drones cannot be extended. Enterprises such as the Dutch startup AVY are developing highly sophisticated drones, which could be used, for example, for the transport of medical products and seeds. Patrick Zaman, the founder of AVY, is enthusiastic about the potential of micro air freight: “The overall economic benefits of air mobility could be immense as new applications increase efficiency and productivity.”

“In fact, air-mobility solutions could transform commutes, package deliveries, and other mundane tasks in ways that would have seemed impossible only a few years ago, producing repercussions that go far beyond transport. Commuter drones could help reduce pollution and alleviate the housing crunch in urban areas by making distant suburbs a viable option for city workers. Rapid drone delivery could accelerate the already steep uptick in e-commerce and increase the bottom line for many companies.” [4] 

Although these are the most obvious possibilities from a consumer perspective, there are many more applications in the modern B2B world. One underexplored topic is embedding drones deep into the value chain, by making them part of industrial manufacturing supply chains. Another field is indoor applications, such as warehouse stocktaking.

But what role do drones currently play here? What are the economic drivers for employing more unmanned air mobility solutions in the value chain?

We asked some players in the transport business what to expect, and whether they anticipate a rise in the use of drone vehicles in the coming years, and their opinions ranged from sceptical to enthusiastic. 

One major cold chain solutions provider was hesitant when it came to large-scale applications compared to the cost of the infrastructure: “A good balance for ROI is as yet unclear.”

Naturally, drone manufacturers stress the versatility and range of possible applications: “Operating and maintaining drone fleets will produce only a fracture of the cost involved road fleet maintenance,” said an official from French drone manufacturer Parrot. 

“As with any industry, economic drivers will also shape demand. Indeed, companies may unlock the greatest value from drones that streamline operations and facilitate automation rather than the more headline-grabbing applications such as drone delivery and transport.” [5]

Moreover the aftermath of the current pandemic will also trigger a greater readiness to employ existing drone solutions in industrial supply chains since digitisation and automation of tasks are not only of economic value but also pose health benefits to employees. Like that reducing the human factor in industrial supply chains might hold benefits for business continuity and individual safety of the workforce. It is hard to predict whether the crisis could start a new era for drone solutions, but it will surely help to see the ample possibilities for application of the technology.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic currently sweeping the globe has triggered the worst financial meltdown since the ‘Great Depression’ of the 1930s. The ravaging pandemic is indeed taking a heavy toll with increased daily infections, deaths (and recoveries) but also a devastating effect on the economies of nations in its wake. Anecdotal evidence points to CEOs worldwide coming to terms with the reality that business will be anything but normal over the coming months. Most are bracing for a protracted, long drawn U-shaped recession seeing the virus outbreak as a growing risk and a real threat to their business survival – Editor

Brian Cartwright, Client Partner, Global Supply Chain & Logistics at Pedersen & Partners,  discusses the post-COVID-19 supply chain and the future of work with a cross section of senior executives and professionals from multiple industry verticals. Here are the first-person narratives of the officials interviewed. Here’s what they had to say:

We find ourselves in difficult and challenging times.

For supply chain leaders, it is more important than ever before to be flexible, willing and able to adapt to change. Adaptability, flexibility and the use of innovative technology are essential for supply chains to operate effectively in what many of us are calling the “new normal”.

I recently asked a few of my contacts in senior leadership roles if they would be willing to share their thoughts in writing about the bigger picture in terms of the impact to the supply chain.

More specifically, I asked them how they think this crisis may impact the way in which the supply chain is managed and structured in the future. I was interested to know how they believe relationships will change on a local, regional, and global level with customers, partners, and service providers, and what long-term changes they anticipate once the crisis is stabilised.

Saskia Groen-in't-Woud, Chief Executive Officer – Damco

One of the ways in which I see the supply chain changing in the future will be the dampening of the just-in-time trend. As a result, I expect to see a combination of near sourcing and diversified offshore sourcing, plus – from a finance perspective – a rethink of inventory management. I expect business resilience to become a core demonstrable quality in service provider selection processes.

My personal wish, once we are through the crisis, is for a trend towards more sustainable consumption and an e-commerce model that supports this. More pragmatically, I believe there will be a shift towards companies having a more diversified supplier strategy, as well as a shift in purchasing priorities – more health-related demand and less large capital spending.

Business relationships will change, likely with a shift towards potentially longer RFQ (Request for Quotation) periods and an emerging trend to find reliability and dependable quality through relationship-driven sourcing, deeper quality assurance management and a strong focus on business resilience.

Working Remotely

While working remotely, we have been really well-connected, and we addressed the additional VPN (Virtual Private Network) connectivity required very early. We deployed our business resilience capability early on, and it’s been a very worthwhile investment. We have been able to keep our customers informed and our people aligned, and ensure that we keep lines of communication open regarding how best to stay close and meet their needs.

Our air charters continue to be well-coordinated and well-aligned with customer requirements.

In the long term, once the crisis is stabilised, we’re going to continue to drive our business resilience, to find the right way to balance working from home and on-site, to develop our people’s skills and to take the capabilities of our cloud-based backbone to the next level.

Djamel Rezzig, Group Head of Last Mile – Chalhoub Group

The retail industry is facing a major challenge, with stores being closed and employees asked to stay home. The supply chain was disrupted as the main source of supplies was cut. Restrictions were imposed on fulfilment centres and last mile delivery teams, together with a stack of constantly changing regulations, curfews, and permits.

For most supply chain leaders the solution has been to create a contingency plan and reassess the situation daily. While import activities for organisations were reduced, the e-commerce business has boomed.

In the future, I believe that the impact of the pandemic on the supply chain will change the way that companies look at our activities. Our role has suddenly become “essential” within the retail industry, and I am confident that the level of attention has changed.

Supply chain, logistics, e-commerce fulfilment and last mile systems will be focused to delight our customers. I predict that post-COVID-19, companies will invest more in logistics, technologies, robotics, and automation to avoid business continuity disruptions in the future.

Miguel Ibarbia, Supply Chain Manager Middle East and Africa – BIC

It is evident at this stage that the COVID-19 situation will impact supply chain management moving forward. Managers will need to focus on building much more agile and resilient supply chains, as great swings in supply, demand, and costs become the new normal.

In terms of demand, we will need to get used to working with several different scenarios at the same time – high, low, optimistic, pessimistic – and plan accordingly. Demand shaping will become increasingly important as supply constraints and product shortages start becoming apparent. In terms of supply, practicing social distance at manufacturing sites, or even warehouses, will have an impact on overall capacity, and suppliers might struggle to deliver original output levels.

This will probably increase product costs as well. Product allocation will become normal, and considerable range rationalisation will be needed to free up capacity for the most important product families (which might come as an opportunity to finally get rid of all those non-performing products).

Demand-supply balance

Balancing demand and supply in this context will probably require the S&OP (Sales & Operations Plannig) to become a more frequent exercise than today, in order to support supply chain agility. It will also be necessary to develop supply chain resilience by continuously monitoring supplies and suppliers, while building alternative plans.

Nevertheless, I believe it is important to acknowledge the great level of agility and resilience that supply chains around the world are already displaying, even as we consider how much more we will need moving forward. In the middle of this considerable disruption, most supply chains are successfully fulfilling market needs, albeit through alternative means or alternative offerings.

André N. Verdier, Managing Director, Middle East – Blue Yonder (previously known as JDA)

In terms of the big picture, the COVID-19 crisis has brought one major development for supply chain professionals. It is now true that the majority of people outside the field, from individual consumers to global CEOs, have gained unprecedented knowledge and focus on supply chain as an activity.

Consumers who were previously unconcerned with issues such as the source of goods, shipping routes, and transportation networks are looking at not only the origin of the contents of their shopping baskets, but the end-to-end process that put those contents there.

The heightened awareness that the supply chain exists to fill those baskets increases the pressure on professionals in this field. Large corporations and SMEs alike are realising the importance of their own supply chains, and the agility and robustness of their operations are now at the forefront.

Agile supply chains

Most companies are realising that their supply chain operations are not as agile and resilient as they had anticipated and hoped, although some are doing well, mainly because of their prescient adoption of technologies and systems.

In retail environments, traditional sale and distribution methods will continue to shift from in-store to home-based, and e-commerce will be the order of the day. Advance visibility for supply, production, inventory and distribution will be a standard requirement, irrespective of the industry.

There will be changes in the way we manage supply chain in the future due to the COVID-19 situation, and these will be mainly to do with planning, visibility, automation, AI and machine learning. These will have to be part of any future supply chain management strategy and operation. Without an integrated supply chain platform which includes these components, business operations cannot be sustained.

New reality

This new reality of our current method of interaction will continue going forward. Remote working and electronic/video communication will become increasingly more acceptable as the norm. However, there will be some return to the previous ways of working; a personal face-to-face meeting still has a distinctive value, even if such meetings happen less frequently in the future.

On an operational level, teams, departments, customers and suppliers within the supply chain will interact in situation rooms that are created to deal with exception management cases, while the day-to-day routine will be automated, powered by AI and machine learning.

My advice to people in the supply chain domain is to review your solutions strategy, and ensure that you have an integrated supply chain management platform which links all aspects and allows for full visibility of your supply chain. Take advantage of any bandwidth you have now to ensure that your operations and your supply chain is agile, efficient and robust. Remember that the new normal will soon just be normal, and that change is an inevitable part of growth and evolution.

Walid Khoury, Managing Partner – ALS Logistics Solutions

COVID-19 is spreading globally faster than ever predicted, which means increased supply chain disruption and significant change in people’s daily habits and behaviour towards one another. The supply chain is impacted by very limited access to manpower due to quarantine, factory shutdown and limited or insufficient access to logistics providers for the movement of goods.

The entire supply chain is in crisis management mode, with work being assessed on a daily basis. In the meantime, customers are impacted with increased costs of shipping and companies increased costs.

In my opinion, this crisis will lead most organisations to realise that their current technologies are no longer competitive, and that they must move towards automation and the need to implement technologies that support business continuity. The cheap manpower handling version will no longer be a good strategy if they wish to remain afloat.

Supply chain providers must put innovation and futureproof process handling at the centre of their planning. They must anticipate customer needs, manage solutions and prepare for critical demands, consumer demands and instability, and similar challenging conditions.

Planning and managing

Additionally, supply chain leaders must start planning and managing their processes beyond the current market platform, and create robust models and tools that will cater for future challenges.

I would remind my friends and colleagues not to lose their heads in the current situation, and instead start preparing for the coming return to normalcy, and the challenges that await us all after the lockdowns are lifted and people are allowed to move freely.

No one can predict the behaviour of the markets after this crisis; if management can keep their staff on the payroll and not sacrifice them to maintain their former profit margins, this will pay off in the future. This crisis is not the end of the world, so please do not make it so for the people around you.

Gaurav Biswas, CEO – TruKKer

The COVID-19 spread has caused unprecedented levels of disruption across multiple industries and geographies. Everything that is transported by air, sea and land has been affected. The first impact was on exports from China, where importers faced disruption of the supply of raw materials.

However, over the last few weeks, the impact has been on entire supply chains, from the supply of raw materials to the demand for finished products. The lockdowns have impacted the demand for all discretionary consumption.

However, supply chain management will go through multiple positive changes as a result of COVID-19. While there are current challenges, the crisis will accelerate the adoption of technology at all levels, including the digitisation of cumbersome paperwork and the automation of processes with the use of predictive algorithms. Supply chain management will thrive with multiple technology innovations that facilitate shared economy principles for otherwise asset-heavy businesses.

Upswing in remote working

We are already seeing the increased use of remote working, video conferences and virtual networking, and this trend will remain. However, humans are social animals, and virtual networking will not replace the need for a handshake and hug. 

These are unprecedented times, and no one really has the past experience to know how exactly how to deal with it. The best way to handle such a crisis is to remain positive, remain informed and spread positivity. Innovation-driven companies should focus on building solutions that allow supply chains to keep moving in a safe environment, prioritising the safety of the thousands of workers who are contributing towards moving cargo across the world.

Roger Philips, General Manager – Tranzone Logistics

Tranzone has seen an impact on supply chain and trade routes globally. Our inbound shipments by both sea and air freight have been affected. For sea freight, we are seeing delayed containers en route, increased customs clearance times due to a skeleton staff working at customs, and reduced driver availability to bring the container to the warehouse due to screening.

Globally, the main impact on air freight has been cargo availability, while airlines cope with the change of environmental conditions due to COVID-19. International cargo flights are changed at the last minute to maximise flight capacity, the type of aircraft used is changed, ground handling is being done by skeleton crews, and office staff are working restricted hours.

Moreover, we have seen road freight exports from Dubai delayed at the border by up to 10 days due to additional customs clearance checks, and the sheer volume of trucks in a single location. We expect this to continue for the coming months while the containment of COVID-19 continues.

Right questions

We will see companies learn from this, asking themselves: Do we have the right business continuity plans in place? Do we have manufacturing sites in the right locations? Do we have enough safety equipment stocked in the right locations? Can we increase manufacturing to meet the high demand? These questions and many more will be considered in the future when we restructure and redesign our supply chain models.

We have seen this crisis as a global stress test of working from home. We can use it as an opportunity to see which areas of a company can work smarter and more effectively, considering that staff are in different locations. People’s behaviour will change, and so will relationship management, as a formerly face-to-face meeting might now be conducted by phone or videoconference.

These are lessons that we can incorporate into the business world, as IT providers continue to develop tools that we can grasp and use to do business in a smarter way, thus enhancing shareholder value and operational efficiency.

Brian Cartwright, Client Partner, Supply Chain & Logistics – Pedersen & Partners

In summary, we can probably agree the world is going to be very different once we come out of this pandemic. Above all taking appropriate measures to ensure the safety and welfare of people is paramount.

Global supply chains will be adapted to become more robust and resilient. It is likely companies will gravitate towards local or regional sourcing models, with a diverse supplier base being selected and managed as partnerships, with a quality-focused approach taking priority over cost.

Planning and forecasting exercises will have to be completed more frequently. Companies will change their stance on inventory management. They may end up holding more inventory than they did before the crisis to ensure they have backup stock in local or regional hubs to ensure business continuity in the event of future disruptions.

All these changes will have a major impact on the way global logistics networks are structured and operated.

More technology

There will be an increase in the use of technology, systems and automation in manufacturing, retail, warehousing, and materials handling, and in the use of robotic process automation and machine learning for repetitive or administrative tasks.

The crisis has also served to accelerate digital transformation, which is a positive development for people and organisations alike, although some organisations have a lot of catching up to do.

The last mile delivery space is currently one of the hottest opportunities for logistics companies to capitalise on. In doing so it is vital to have a clear and innovative strategy, a suitable technology platform, and the right people in place, but the customer experience is fundamental to success.

For retailers and bespoke kitchens or restaurants, it is imperative to have the right delivery partner. The delivery partner is the only point of physical contact for customers when they receive their order, and the experience – whether positive or negative – will speak volumes about the seller.

Last mile delivery

The cheapest last mile delivery option will quickly turn out to be the most expensive in the long run, as customers are lost due to poor delivery experiences.

Working from home has become the normal practice for many people. Some companies already had the processes, infrastructure, and technology in place for a quick shift to remote working, but others have had to rapidly adapt to this.

It has been necessary to quickly get up to speed with current technology, and to make use of cloud services and video calls to ensure that real time collaboration and contact with co-workers and regular contact with clients and suppliers remains possible.

Paradigm shift

Taking the above into account, I would suggest that as paradigms shift, employers may want to consider reassessing the expertise and functions required within their future supply chains.

Businesses that have already started to review their organisational structure and make these assessments will have a significant strategic advantage over their competitors. It will be particularly advantageous for businesses to make concerted efforts to identify people with the required skills now, (in terms of required expertise, functional areas and geography) with an eye to potentially making external hires when restructuring.

As each country begins to come out of the crisis, having the first-mover advantage of knowing who to approach and where to hire them from will be a critical factor in gaining market share from the competition.

In conclusion, COVID-19 has already had an immense impact on the area of supply chain and logistics but is simultaneously bringing great opportunities for innovation. It is imperative that we stay positive in this situation and remain agile.

May 5, 2020 – Singapore – Pedersen & Partners, a leading international Executive Search firm with 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries, is pleased to announce that Jonathan Whitehead has joined the ASEAN Team as a Client Partner.

Jonathan Whitehead is a talent management professional with approximately 15 years of experience within the search industry. Jonathan possesses international experience with global search firms in the UK, the Netherlands, Australia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapore. Prior to joining Pedersen & Partners, he served as the Country Manager for a global search firm based in Vietnam. Earlier, Jonathan was responsible for leading the development of the Vietnam business for a global search organisation. Jonathan’s search experience covers Industrial, Consumer, and Supply Chain & Logistics industry sectors, delivering country and regional leadership search assignments across multiple disciplines.

“Having spent almost a decade within the search industry in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore, Jonathan has been able to develop deep understanding of the markets and industry sectors to drive tangible value to clients. These capabilities will be invaluable as we continue to partner with our clients as they pursue their growth plans in the emerging markets within ASEAN.  We are excited to welcome Jonathan to our ASEAN Team,” commented Reza Ghazali, Client Partner, Head of ASEAN & Board Services ASEAN at Pedersen & Partners.

“I am very pleased to be joining Pedersen & Partners and to be part of the growth in ASEAN. With the firm’s global fully integrated platform, as well as the focus on emerging markets, I am confident that we will be able to provide unparalleled value to our clients within the emerging markets of ASEAN,” added Jonathan Whitehead, Client Partner at Pedersen & Partners.

Pedersen & Partners is a leading international Executive Search firm. We operate 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia & the Americas. Our values Trust, Relationship and Professionalism apply to our interaction with clients as well as executives. More information about Pedersen & Partners is available at www.pedersenandpartners.com.

If you would like to conduct an interview with a representative of Pedersen & Partners, or have other media-related requests, please contact: Diana Danu, Marketing and Communications Manager at: diana.danu@pedersenandpartners.com

When it comes to identifying and placing talent for the region’s end-to-end Supply Chain sector, the leading Executive Search expert in Supply Chain & Logistics has a keen knack for engaging top-performing senior executives for his clients. Brian Cartwright is a rarity in an industry sector that’s often struggling to find and attract the right calibre of high-performance leadership talent.

As with any fast-paced and volatile business, discovering top and perfectly suited talent for the Supply Chain and Logistics industry can be difficult. In many instances, there is a dearth of good talent, skills and experience which is why many corporations use the services of high-end executive search firms to provide professional placement services. Many clients use them to identify suitable competent candidates that may not be immediately identifiable in the market and, essentially, avoid the cost of a bad hire.

Brian Cartwright, the Dubai-based Client Partner at Pedersen & Partners, has over fifteen years of experience in Executive Search and Recruitment, and credited with having successfully carried out hundreds of senior leadership searches for the global Supply Chain and Logistics sector. His Middle East and Africa experience consists of assignments completed over the course of a decade living and working in UAE. He specialises in Supply Chain and Logistics-related functions for top C-Suite, VP, and Director-level positions in global, regional, and country level roles, working with service providers and end-user companies including large listed corporations, family-owned conglomerates, SMEs, and start-ups.

Global Supply Chain (GSC): Give us the brief 30-second spiel on Pedersen & Partners?

Brian Cartwright (BC): Pedersen & Partners is a leading international Executive Search firm, founded in 2001. We operate 57 wholly owned offices in 53 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Dubai was our first office in the MEA Region, opening in 2008.

Since then, Pedersen & Partners has established offices in Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Saudi Arabia. We combine our comprehensive experience in emerging and developed markets with an extensive global footprint and proven expertise in making successful executive placements to ensure that our clients grow and expand into new markets while simultaneously remaining competitive.

Our novel ‘Best Team Forward’ approach ensures that our service goes beyond standard solutions for executive appointments. Instead, we strive to solve complex senior recruitment needs for our clients, from top-level management and C-Suite level placements to complex board governance issues, and to become their trusted advisors. We are devoted to building and sustaining authentic long-term relationships with our clients and candidates, staying focused and engaged on providing precise support and well-rounded advice to secure the absolute best leadership teams.

GSC: As the Client Partner, Supply Chain & Logistics, what specifically does your work entail?

BC: Ultimately, I support companies who are hiring senior leadership roles in the global Supply Chain and Logistics sector, although it’s probably more accurate to say I am in the knowledge and relationships business. It’s my job to constantly engage with people in the market to stay abreast of the trends, challenges and opportunities across the global supply chain whilst keeping a close eye on the top performing leaders in the sector and building relationships with them. My daily goal is to constantly expand my knowledge of the market by meeting and speaking to people.

When clients engage me to conduct an executive search, they are benefiting from my knowledge and my ability to open discussions with key people in the market, including people who don’t have a public profile online, or who are not even considering a change of jobs right now. My ability to successfully complete each search is a by-product of my involvement in the sector every day. Whenever I interact with people, it’s a discussion based on trust and deep insight and knowledge of the people, the companies and the sector I specialise in.

Read the full interview here.

August 6, 2019 – Dubai, UAE – Pedersen & Partners, a leading international Executive Search firm with 57 wholly owned offices in 53 countries, is pleased to announce that Brian Cartwright will be joining the firm’s Supply Chain & Logistics sub-practice as a Client Partner in Dubai.

“At Pedersen & Partners we strive to support our clients’ efforts to secure the best Supply Chain and Logistics leadership, allowing them to successfully grow and expand into new markets while simultaneously remaining competitive. Our “best team forward” approach will greatly benefit from Brian’s wide spectrum experience from corporations to start-ups, as he has completed mandates which ultimately signed on leaders who helped make Supply Chain & Logistics operations efficient, cost-effective, and fully integrated with Industry 4.0. systems,” stated Michael Al-Nassir, Partner and the Head of Middle East, Africa, Central & South Asia at Pedersen & Partners.

“Disruptive, digitally-savvy, and adaptive leaders in the Supply Chain and Logistics sector are highly valued and I’m excited to be able to tap into Pedersen & Partners’ market intelligence, network, and support capabilities across the globe. As a formerly independent recruiter, I look forward to partnering with my colleagues and enriching our joint capabilities for the benefit of our Middle East & Africa clients, as well as in other geographies,” added Brian Cartwright, Client Partner, Supply Chain & Logistics at Pedersen & Partners.

Pedersen & Partners is a leading international Executive Search firm. We operate 57 wholly owned offices in 53 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia & the Americas. Our values Trust, Relationship and Professionalism apply to our interaction with clients as well as executives. More information about Pedersen & Partners is available at www.pedersenandpartners.com

If you would like to conduct an interview with a representative of Pedersen & Partners, or have other media-related requests, please contact: Diana Danu, Marketing and Communications Manager at: diana.danu@pedersenandpartners.com

Industrial Practice Group

The industrial sector has very unique leadership requirements given the technological advancements, with Industry 4.0 and digitalisation permeating every aspect of operations and manufacturing. These disruptive trends require transformational leaders who can implement strategic visions while navigating this increasingly complex eco-system.