WEBVTT - Chief Future Officer: Melanie Kreis, DPDHL Group

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<v Speaker 1>Before the COVID pandemic upended the way the world does business,

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<v Speaker 1>logistics was one of those industries that might have been

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<v Speaker 1>taken for granted. That's not the case anymore due to

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<v Speaker 1>other turbulences over the last two years. Customers are now

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<v Speaker 1>realizing how important it is to have a reliable logistics

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<v Speaker 1>partner on their side. Our people are doing a quite

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<v Speaker 1>complex drop. People think, are they just to live up

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<v Speaker 1>past it somewhere? That's an easy If you think about

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<v Speaker 1>what our people are doing, it's quite complex. Businesses and

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<v Speaker 1>consumers are suddenly thinking a lot more about how things

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<v Speaker 1>they need reach places where they're needed. It's thrust the

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<v Speaker 1>sector into the spotlight. Logistics and supply chain has become

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<v Speaker 1>a household name. It's dramatically different than pre pandemic. Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>it's grown, whether that's in market, revenue, profitability, investor in

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<v Speaker 1>the dress. For Deutsche Post DHL Group, that's created opportunity

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<v Speaker 1>to build on momentum and set ambitious goals for service

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<v Speaker 1>and performance. When you look at our footprint, we're the

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<v Speaker 1>most international logistics company there is. We want to become

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<v Speaker 1>more digital and we want to be much more sustainable

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<v Speaker 1>than we have been. D p d h l's revenue

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<v Speaker 1>has sword since twenty with full year profit nearly doubling

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<v Speaker 1>in one CFO. Melanie christ is a key leader of

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<v Speaker 1>the team that's delivered these results, and she views her

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<v Speaker 1>role as much more than just a number corruption. There are,

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<v Speaker 1>unfortunately these cliches that finance is boring and it's kind

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<v Speaker 1>of like been counting in the back office would be

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<v Speaker 1>successful in finance. I mean, you have to have the

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<v Speaker 1>financial expertise, right, but you also have to be credible

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<v Speaker 1>business leaders in order to really impact the business and

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<v Speaker 1>steer the direction. She is extremely smart and bright. You

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<v Speaker 1>need somebody who is able to digest a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>information that rapidly and can distinguish it's important what's less important.

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<v Speaker 1>She has tremendous skill in that, and she's not afraid

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<v Speaker 1>to cool people out to call out other members of

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<v Speaker 1>the executive team. If she feels that something isn't being

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<v Speaker 1>she does it in a very nice way. Actually, she

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<v Speaker 1>helps me tremendously in straining the company because she is

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<v Speaker 1>highly regarded by my other colleagues in the senior team,

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<v Speaker 1>and typically if they have a problem, they share shared

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<v Speaker 1>first with her before they come to me. When I

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<v Speaker 1>think about the conversations I have with Frank. The shortest

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<v Speaker 1>part is actually about the analysis and the facts. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>it's more the debate about okay. On that basis, what

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<v Speaker 1>are the options? What can we do? My role is

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<v Speaker 1>essentially saying, in three sentences, what is working well in

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<v Speaker 1>this company, where do we have challenges and what to

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<v Speaker 1>do going forward. M Deutsche Post DHL Group consists of

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<v Speaker 1>five divisions, Express Germany's post and parcel service, Global forwarding

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<v Speaker 1>and freight, supply chain and e commerce solutions. Each of

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<v Speaker 1>these segments has seen revenue growth in the last four years,

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<v Speaker 1>while the surge of e commerce volume during the pandemic

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<v Speaker 1>has had a direct impact on the trajectory. If you

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<v Speaker 1>see e commerce as a very structural and fundamental growth

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<v Speaker 1>driver for us as a company, what we now saw

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<v Speaker 1>under the pandemic was a structural acceleration. It took us

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<v Speaker 1>forward to a point in terms of e compenetration which

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<v Speaker 1>we probably would have reached un enormal circumstances in three

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<v Speaker 1>years time, So it was a big step forward. D

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<v Speaker 1>P d h L was well prepared to take this step.

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<v Speaker 1>The company's strategic plan recognized e commerce as a growing

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<v Speaker 1>trend in the logistics landscape, but no one could have

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<v Speaker 1>forecast the speed and breadth of the transformation when we

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<v Speaker 1>are now seeing that also under the pandemic, not only

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<v Speaker 1>domestic e commerce has taken a faster growth trajectories than anticipated,

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<v Speaker 1>but also cross border e commerce um and we see

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<v Speaker 1>that very clearly in our express network but also in

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<v Speaker 1>our e con Solutions division. What are the other big

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<v Speaker 1>structural shifts that you see on the horizon? Is it

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<v Speaker 1>e commerce B two B? Is it increased trade as

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<v Speaker 1>globalization restructures? What are the shifts that you're seeing The

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<v Speaker 1>would be to be EQUALM is still at a very

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<v Speaker 1>early stage, so we believe that there will be a

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<v Speaker 1>huge growth opportunity there and we also see that when

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<v Speaker 1>we're talking to our customers now. I guess everybody has

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<v Speaker 1>been now realized that being dependent on just one supplier

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<v Speaker 1>in one province in one country is probably not a

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<v Speaker 1>good idea, so they want to build more resilience into

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<v Speaker 1>the supply chain. I think our international footprint, our global strength,

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<v Speaker 1>is really something we can leverage for the benefit of

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<v Speaker 1>our customers. Another factor in the company's favor is its

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<v Speaker 1>balance sheet. Since Melanie christ became se FO cash flow

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<v Speaker 1>has improved significantly. One of my priorities over the last

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<v Speaker 1>year's has been to really focus the whole organization on

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<v Speaker 1>better cash generation. It's not just a finance job. Making

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<v Speaker 1>sure that ultimately revenue converts into ebort and into cash

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<v Speaker 1>in the bank account is the responsibility of the whole organization.

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<v Speaker 1>She says, you know, we we can't be successful as

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<v Speaker 1>a company if we are not collecting the cash for

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<v Speaker 1>our services we have provided, and she has not missed

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<v Speaker 1>one single opportunity to talk about that. I think it's

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<v Speaker 1>a very comfortable situation, particularly in the current environment, to

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<v Speaker 1>have a strong balance sheet. I think in that sort

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<v Speaker 1>of respect, I'm very conservative and I rather have a

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<v Speaker 1>bit more on the balance sheet and a bit more

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<v Speaker 1>a buff us spell out for us what the priorities are,

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<v Speaker 1>the longer term priorities in terms of putting some of

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<v Speaker 1>that cash to use for you. The first priority here

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<v Speaker 1>is organic growth. He clearly indicated also with our capex

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<v Speaker 1>budget twelve billion for the next three years, that we

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<v Speaker 1>will keep investing into organic growth. We are very focused

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<v Speaker 1>on our regular dividend payment and then if there is

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<v Speaker 1>something left, which is fortunately the case at the moment,

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<v Speaker 1>we will think about in organic opportunities and we will

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<v Speaker 1>also think about other means to allow our shoulders to participate.

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<v Speaker 1>That is why we're currently running a two billion euros

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<v Speaker 1>share by back program. In Organic opportunities include M and

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<v Speaker 1>A like the recent purchase of beverage shipper Hiller brand,

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<v Speaker 1>but deploying cash is always subject to careful consideration. Does

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<v Speaker 1>Melanie ever turn around and say no when you're pushing

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<v Speaker 1>through or pushing for a particular package of spending. Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>she does it quite often, you know, because she has

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<v Speaker 1>she You know, she is a person, and that's great

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<v Speaker 1>if you have a CFO or who is risk of

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<v Speaker 1>prose because you need somebody. You know. The business is

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<v Speaker 1>always too optimistic. Melanie might be something too pessimistic, but

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<v Speaker 1>that's a very healthy discussion. If we've the jointly come

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<v Speaker 1>to the same conclusion after a debate, then we are

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<v Speaker 1>probably in the right spot. How often do you find

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<v Speaker 1>yourself saying no to divisional heads? So when I kind

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<v Speaker 1>of like was promoted into the C of all position,

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<v Speaker 1>my team gave me a stamp, was kind of like rejected.

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<v Speaker 1>It sits on my desk. I think the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>people know it sits there already has instilled quite a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of discipline in the organization. UM, so I think

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<v Speaker 1>UM when I get a proposal, it has also gone

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<v Speaker 1>already gone through a number of iterations UM and is

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<v Speaker 1>normally of such a high quality that I don't need

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<v Speaker 1>to rejected a stamp too often for the time being.

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<v Speaker 1>Christ should be able to keep that stamp in a draw.

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<v Speaker 1>CEO Frank Cappelle has expressed a commitment to service quality

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<v Speaker 1>and confidence that customers will accept higher prices that come

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<v Speaker 1>with it. If you are too expensive, you will be

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<v Speaker 1>out of business, But if you don't provide the right quality,

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<v Speaker 1>you will be out of business. So we want to

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<v Speaker 1>be We will never be the cheapest in town. That's

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<v Speaker 1>not will be the premium provider. That's all the strategy.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, it's also more challenging for us than our

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<v Speaker 1>customers are under pressure. At the same time, I think

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<v Speaker 1>over all the last two years have shown that reliable,

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<v Speaker 1>high quality supply chain comes at a certain price. Tech

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<v Speaker 1>I definitely see that inflation is having a huge impact

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<v Speaker 1>on the logistics industry, and there's been substantial price increases

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<v Speaker 1>in the last few years. I do not see that changing.

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<v Speaker 1>There's a lot of innovation happening. Uh, and I don't

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<v Speaker 1>see the inflation necessarily going away. It might level out

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<v Speaker 1>a bit, but it's not going to go away. Logistics

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<v Speaker 1>companies may have pricing power with customers, but their stock

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<v Speaker 1>prices haven't been so robust. I think that the issue

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<v Speaker 1>there is the increase in interest rates has made everyone

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<v Speaker 1>rethink and we can turned about the level of inventory

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<v Speaker 1>that is out um you know, in the system, if

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<v Speaker 1>you will, and with the level of disruption. I think

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<v Speaker 1>what's happened more in the lasts is it more of

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<v Speaker 1>a view that we're actually not heading into certainly an

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<v Speaker 1>you can't slowdown maybe a recession. With more than half

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<v Speaker 1>its revenue coming from Europe, investors may see dp d

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<v Speaker 1>h L as more exposed to recession risk than its

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<v Speaker 1>global peers. The company insists it can meet its revenue

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<v Speaker 1>targets in the event of a downturn. It's counting on

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<v Speaker 1>diversification as a cushion. I'm not so pessimistic that the

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<v Speaker 1>that there is really a deep recession at our doorsteps.

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<v Speaker 1>So but even then, you know, our portfolio is very

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<v Speaker 1>much balanced. You know, we are everywhere in the world

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<v Speaker 1>of the world will not go entirely in the recession

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<v Speaker 1>A doubt that would it be a stretch to suggest

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<v Speaker 1>that DP d h L is to some extent recession proof.

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<v Speaker 1>I wouldn't go as as to say recession proof, but

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<v Speaker 1>I think we are very well positioned to deal with

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<v Speaker 1>all different types of recessions in every scenarios due to

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<v Speaker 1>the breadth of the portfolio. The balance also portfolio really

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<v Speaker 1>gives us a lot of resilience against any type of headwind.

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<v Speaker 1>As the chief financial officer of one of the world's

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<v Speaker 1>largest logistics companies, Melanie Christ has made her mark in

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<v Speaker 1>global business. That's not what she originally attended to do.

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<v Speaker 1>I really wanted to go into research. I wanted to

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<v Speaker 1>become a physicist, and that was where my passion was.

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<v Speaker 1>But then during my studies, UM some friends of mine

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<v Speaker 1>started doing this strange thing. They went into management consulting.

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't even know how to spell it, and I

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<v Speaker 1>had no idea what it was about, but what they

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<v Speaker 1>told me was quite interesting. Um and UM. So I

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<v Speaker 1>ended up doing an internship with a consulting firm, and

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<v Speaker 1>I learned more in the two months there than I

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<v Speaker 1>had in the last two years in my physics job

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<v Speaker 1>at university. That is how I ended up in consulting.

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<v Speaker 1>She started her career with three years at mckensey, then

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<v Speaker 1>spent four years in private equity with Apax Partners in

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<v Speaker 1>London before joining Deutsche Post DHL Group into thousand and four.

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<v Speaker 1>I was brought into the company to do international M

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<v Speaker 1>and A project. That was at a time around twenty

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<v Speaker 1>years ago when we were really building the company in

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<v Speaker 1>the current shape, acquiring lots of logistics companies around the world.

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<v Speaker 1>The M and A part was the first thing, and

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<v Speaker 1>I then wandered into a more mainstream finance UH field

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<v Speaker 1>here in in the group, becoming the CFO of our

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<v Speaker 1>DIATL Express division. So from then on it was more

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<v Speaker 1>leading towards the CFO role. Eventually, Melanie Christ now heads

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<v Speaker 1>the finance team with around eleven thousand employees. Success in

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<v Speaker 1>this role is as much an art as a science.

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<v Speaker 1>If you do the greatest piece of analysis and you

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<v Speaker 1>see it all and you know it all, but you

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<v Speaker 1>can't convey that message and you can't convince the rest

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<v Speaker 1>of the organization that we should move into a certain direction,

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<v Speaker 1>it's useless. DP d h L is sending a consistent

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<v Speaker 1>message with its investments. The company spent a hundred twenty

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<v Speaker 1>three million euros to upgrade its logistics center at the

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<v Speaker 1>Clone Bonn Airport, designing it around key strategic goals. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I love about this building is it actually shows them

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<v Speaker 1>the big mega trends which formed our strategy which was

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<v Speaker 1>inaugurated in tween this building opened. So globalization, connecting the

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<v Speaker 1>worlds e commerce. We have a lot of sortation facilities

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<v Speaker 1>here for smaller e commerce shipments. Sustainability, it's a very

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<v Speaker 1>sustainable building that solar panels on the room and everything,

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<v Speaker 1>and digitalization and well you can obviously see that it

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<v Speaker 1>is quite automated. How did the team pitch this investment

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<v Speaker 1>to you initially and how hard was it as a

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<v Speaker 1>cell for them? How quickly did you turn around say yes,

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<v Speaker 1>this is worth a hundred twenty three million euros. Of course,

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<v Speaker 1>you always have to make sure that you have the

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<v Speaker 1>right capacity for the growth in the network. And at

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<v Speaker 1>that time they came and said, hey, we will really

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<v Speaker 1>see a strong growth in new commerce volumes on top

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<v Speaker 1>of the regular B two B growth. We need more

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<v Speaker 1>sorting capacity, we need this building. And of course they

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<v Speaker 1>always debates doesn't really have to coast under twenties three

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<v Speaker 1>million euros and so on. But fortunately they convinced us

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<v Speaker 1>because then with Corvid and the volumes hurt who urgently

0:13:24.040 --> 0:13:27.920
<v Speaker 1>needed the capacity. At the same time as COVID accelerated

0:13:27.960 --> 0:13:32.720
<v Speaker 1>demand for logistics services, disruptions in the labor supply hurt.

0:13:32.800 --> 0:13:37.439
<v Speaker 1>Productivity advances and technology like this digital sort have helped

0:13:37.520 --> 0:13:42.760
<v Speaker 1>offset some pressures. But automation also raises questions. Does this

0:13:42.880 --> 0:13:45.760
<v Speaker 1>tell us that there's the business grows, this is gonna

0:13:45.760 --> 0:13:48.400
<v Speaker 1>become a more automated business, that there's going to be

0:13:48.480 --> 0:13:51.680
<v Speaker 1>less need for labor for workers. Well, you still see

0:13:51.679 --> 0:13:55.280
<v Speaker 1>people here, and I think what you can nicely sportins

0:13:55.320 --> 0:13:58.960
<v Speaker 1>here is the combination of technology which supports people. So

0:13:59.160 --> 0:14:01.520
<v Speaker 1>for examply, when you look it's a customs area. It

0:14:01.640 --> 0:14:04.599
<v Speaker 1>used to be a very manual and sometimes confusing process.

0:14:04.920 --> 0:14:07.760
<v Speaker 1>Now the people are supported in picking the right hipments

0:14:07.800 --> 0:14:11.480
<v Speaker 1>for customs inspections by light and they are automatically sorted

0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:14.439
<v Speaker 1>in this sort of to go to customers expections. So

0:14:14.800 --> 0:14:17.360
<v Speaker 1>it is also having the people. Um, it was the

0:14:17.480 --> 0:14:19.480
<v Speaker 1>job they're doing here every day. We all a said,

0:14:19.560 --> 0:14:22.280
<v Speaker 1>you know in two thousand, nineteen twenty, you know we

0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:25.560
<v Speaker 1>might get one third less jobs in the current set

0:14:25.640 --> 0:14:28.880
<v Speaker 1>up until twenty thirty if we digitalized for your organization,

0:14:29.760 --> 0:14:31.640
<v Speaker 1>But we are very sure that our company will be

0:14:31.640 --> 0:14:34.160
<v Speaker 1>at least fifty maybe hundred percent bigger, and we will

0:14:34.240 --> 0:14:37.040
<v Speaker 1>have more jobs to offer than at the beginning of

0:14:37.120 --> 0:14:39.200
<v Speaker 1>a couple of years ago when we started their journey,

0:14:39.240 --> 0:14:42.000
<v Speaker 1>people said, oh, you know, I might lose one job.

0:14:42.080 --> 0:14:45.240
<v Speaker 1>I haven't heard that in the last two years as

0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:49.800
<v Speaker 1>a question in any town hall. This airport have also

0:14:49.880 --> 0:14:54.400
<v Speaker 1>showcases dp DHLS aviation fleet, which both more than three

0:14:54.480 --> 0:14:58.720
<v Speaker 1>hundred twenty dedicated cargo aircraft. We all in the biggest

0:14:58.720 --> 0:15:01.240
<v Speaker 1>tone of our aircraft, but we also have short and

0:15:01.360 --> 0:15:04.080
<v Speaker 1>medium and long term nieces and with the growth in

0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:07.960
<v Speaker 1>our business, we anticipate that the people keep growing. And

0:15:07.960 --> 0:15:11.360
<v Speaker 1>you've talked about investing, of course in sustainable fuel. Yes,

0:15:11.680 --> 0:15:14.280
<v Speaker 1>when does that, when does that come online? How significant

0:15:14.360 --> 0:15:16.200
<v Speaker 1>is it? Is it just the critics might say that's

0:15:16.240 --> 0:15:18.960
<v Speaker 1>just window dressing around a part of the business that

0:15:19.080 --> 0:15:22.760
<v Speaker 1>is of course very very carbon intensive, at least a

0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:26.160
<v Speaker 1>lot of emissions. Yeah, so you absolutely right. The problem

0:15:26.240 --> 0:15:29.600
<v Speaker 1>with our beautiful aircraft is the CEO two emissions and

0:15:30.240 --> 0:15:32.720
<v Speaker 1>when you look at our overall, it's U two emissions

0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:36.200
<v Speaker 1>to thirds up from aviation. It is about flying these

0:15:36.240 --> 0:15:39.320
<v Speaker 1>birds with more sustainable fuel, and we said that we

0:15:39.320 --> 0:15:42.320
<v Speaker 1>are really willing to spend billions on it. We now

0:15:42.480 --> 0:15:44.680
<v Speaker 1>really hope that we will see the uptick in supply

0:15:44.800 --> 0:15:49.760
<v Speaker 1>over the next year's spending billions isn't vague hyperbole. The

0:15:49.800 --> 0:15:53.320
<v Speaker 1>company has pledged to put seven billion euros towards sustainable

0:15:53.360 --> 0:15:57.400
<v Speaker 1>technologies and fuels by thirty with the goal of climate

0:15:57.480 --> 0:16:01.920
<v Speaker 1>neutral logistics by twenty fifty. Just inability makes good business

0:16:01.920 --> 0:16:05.760
<v Speaker 1>sense anyway, especially if you are in a business that

0:16:05.920 --> 0:16:09.680
<v Speaker 1>is energy or fuel hungry. As a compliance element that

0:16:09.880 --> 0:16:13.520
<v Speaker 1>not just operators in the logistics sector need to consider

0:16:13.600 --> 0:16:17.720
<v Speaker 1>but also their customers, so being transparent becomes part of

0:16:17.760 --> 0:16:22.040
<v Speaker 1>the service about their impact on the globe. We had

0:16:22.040 --> 0:16:26.960
<v Speaker 1>a lengthy discussion should we make financial commitment how much

0:16:26.960 --> 0:16:29.120
<v Speaker 1>we want to invest for the next decade in our

0:16:29.200 --> 0:16:32.080
<v Speaker 1>sustainability and we had a long debate is it right

0:16:32.200 --> 0:16:35.760
<v Speaker 1>to say we want to invest seven billion? Until there

0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:38.400
<v Speaker 1>were pros and cons But that was a very intense

0:16:38.440 --> 0:16:41.320
<v Speaker 1>discussion Melanie and I had where we finally came to

0:16:41.400 --> 0:16:44.400
<v Speaker 1>the conclusion that this is a right number. This is

0:16:44.440 --> 0:16:46.920
<v Speaker 1>a right approach. We convinced our colleague, and that's the

0:16:46.960 --> 0:16:49.080
<v Speaker 1>reason why we are where we are. Where we are

0:16:49.120 --> 0:16:51.840
<v Speaker 1>seen as somebody who really commit. They're not that many

0:16:51.840 --> 0:16:56.680
<v Speaker 1>companies who have quantified their future investment, which opposed DHL groups.

0:16:56.720 --> 0:16:59.760
<v Speaker 1>CFO Melanie Christ is often named to lists of the

0:16:59.800 --> 0:17:03.480
<v Speaker 1>most powerful women in business, and while men still out

0:17:03.560 --> 0:17:06.960
<v Speaker 1>number women as finance heads of large companies, there are

0:17:07.160 --> 0:17:10.960
<v Speaker 1>signs that the balance is shifting. The number of female

0:17:10.960 --> 0:17:14.199
<v Speaker 1>CFOs across major US companies has risen to an all

0:17:14.280 --> 0:17:17.520
<v Speaker 1>time high. According to a study by Chris Colder Associates

0:17:18.040 --> 0:17:21.600
<v Speaker 1>and executive search firm Cohen Partners reports that thirty six

0:17:21.680 --> 0:17:25.320
<v Speaker 1>percent of new CFOs hired by notable companies in the

0:17:25.359 --> 0:17:29.760
<v Speaker 1>first half of two were women. I asked Melanie Christ

0:17:29.840 --> 0:17:33.399
<v Speaker 1>if she's encountered obstacles as a woman rising through the

0:17:33.440 --> 0:17:37.360
<v Speaker 1>executive ranks. I have to say, UM, I have not

0:17:37.520 --> 0:17:41.719
<v Speaker 1>made many negative experiences. UM. Maybe I was also a

0:17:41.720 --> 0:17:45.200
<v Speaker 1>little bit even not thinking about these challenges so much so.

0:17:45.280 --> 0:17:48.119
<v Speaker 1>I mean, when I studied physics, there weren't many women,

0:17:48.240 --> 0:17:51.280
<v Speaker 1>so I was somehow always used to it. And it

0:17:51.320 --> 0:17:53.480
<v Speaker 1>can also be an advantage when you're kind of like

0:17:53.560 --> 0:17:56.760
<v Speaker 1>the only girl in the room. I mean the boss

0:17:56.800 --> 0:17:59.480
<v Speaker 1>at the end remembers your name and not the nineteen

0:17:59.480 --> 0:18:02.520
<v Speaker 1>guys who all kind of like we're dark suits and

0:18:02.560 --> 0:18:06.000
<v Speaker 1>white shirts and look alike. Right. So, UM. I never

0:18:06.240 --> 0:18:12.320
<v Speaker 1>experienced it um as a yeah, external stress factor. I

0:18:12.359 --> 0:18:15.160
<v Speaker 1>have to say for me personally, it was more balancing

0:18:15.320 --> 0:18:20.880
<v Speaker 1>my own UM expectations around kind of like getting family

0:18:21.000 --> 0:18:23.840
<v Speaker 1>and the job combined. UM. But that was probably more

0:18:23.880 --> 0:18:26.800
<v Speaker 1>of a pressure I put on myself, thinking that I

0:18:26.840 --> 0:18:29.719
<v Speaker 1>had to be perfect in every dimension, and not something

0:18:29.760 --> 0:18:32.360
<v Speaker 1>where the pressure was put on me from my male colleagues.

0:18:33.520 --> 0:18:36.240
<v Speaker 1>So how do you take that experience and put it

0:18:36.280 --> 0:18:39.800
<v Speaker 1>to play in terms of how you advance the role

0:18:39.800 --> 0:18:42.880
<v Speaker 1>of women in this organization. I think the great thing

0:18:42.960 --> 0:18:45.680
<v Speaker 1>is that now across the board in finance, but also

0:18:45.720 --> 0:18:48.800
<v Speaker 1>in the group overall, we have role marvels which show

0:18:48.960 --> 0:18:52.800
<v Speaker 1>young female talent that everything is possible. In finance, we

0:18:52.920 --> 0:18:56.760
<v Speaker 1>have a share of women in management of thirty um,

0:18:57.040 --> 0:18:59.199
<v Speaker 1>so we are ahead of the group. We want to

0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:02.320
<v Speaker 1>get to thirty five percent by five I think they

0:19:02.359 --> 0:19:04.600
<v Speaker 1>are not a position. If you have a vacancy. I

0:19:04.640 --> 0:19:06.480
<v Speaker 1>want to have at least one woman on the short

0:19:06.560 --> 0:19:10.720
<v Speaker 1>list because we have enough female talent, so every short

0:19:10.760 --> 0:19:13.200
<v Speaker 1>list should contain a woman, and then the best person

0:19:13.240 --> 0:19:17.040
<v Speaker 1>in the race should win. CEO Frank Capelle says Christ

0:19:17.119 --> 0:19:21.640
<v Speaker 1>sets an example for the entire organization and he believes

0:19:21.640 --> 0:19:26.200
<v Speaker 1>her success may influence the entire industry. She has proven

0:19:26.200 --> 0:19:28.760
<v Speaker 1>that she is an outstanding CEFO and she's definitely a

0:19:28.760 --> 0:19:31.639
<v Speaker 1>wrong one in many dimensions that you you know what

0:19:31.680 --> 0:19:35.040
<v Speaker 1>I like about there? She is still, you know, a

0:19:35.280 --> 0:19:38.760
<v Speaker 1>very warm and nice person and that makes such a

0:19:38.760 --> 0:19:42.119
<v Speaker 1>big difference, so you can get to that level without

0:19:42.240 --> 0:19:45.520
<v Speaker 1>compromising on how nice you are as a person. I

0:19:45.560 --> 0:19:47.480
<v Speaker 1>think she's a great wrong one and I hope that

0:19:47.560 --> 0:19:51.880
<v Speaker 1>this has had positive impact for many of us from

0:19:51.880 --> 0:19:56.080
<v Speaker 1>the big picture down to the smallest operational details. Melanie

0:19:56.119 --> 0:20:00.880
<v Speaker 1>Gryce is fully engaged in guiding dp DHL to the future.

0:20:01.640 --> 0:20:04.680
<v Speaker 1>I wanted to know what she sees when she looks ahead.

0:20:05.359 --> 0:20:07.800
<v Speaker 1>What do you see is the biggest opportunities for d

0:20:07.960 --> 0:20:11.879
<v Speaker 1>P d H L over the next ten years. I

0:20:11.920 --> 0:20:16.040
<v Speaker 1>think we have a fantastic portfolio and we just have

0:20:16.160 --> 0:20:19.080
<v Speaker 1>to leverage the growth opportunities which are there both on

0:20:19.160 --> 0:20:21.680
<v Speaker 1>the equam side um and also on the traditional B

0:20:21.760 --> 0:20:24.960
<v Speaker 1>two B side, and the key differentiators for us will

0:20:25.000 --> 0:20:29.560
<v Speaker 1>be digitalization, sustainability and our great people. As you look

0:20:29.600 --> 0:20:31.879
<v Speaker 1>ahead ten years, what are some of the challenges what

0:20:31.960 --> 0:20:34.320
<v Speaker 1>keeps you up at night as you think about the

0:20:34.400 --> 0:20:37.359
<v Speaker 1>business going forward. I think we have to keep this

0:20:37.520 --> 0:20:41.320
<v Speaker 1>focus and the ability to adjust in a very agile way.

0:20:41.480 --> 0:20:44.439
<v Speaker 1>Sometimes when you kind of like think about all the

0:20:44.600 --> 0:20:49.200
<v Speaker 1>risk controlling and stuff, people tend to create the impression

0:20:49.280 --> 0:20:52.840
<v Speaker 1>that you can pre plan everything. That's clearly not the case.

0:20:53.080 --> 0:20:56.200
<v Speaker 1>So I think we have to stay focused and keep

0:20:56.240 --> 0:20:59.800
<v Speaker 1>the ability to react in a very edgile way. But

0:21:00.160 --> 0:21:02.359
<v Speaker 1>looking at what happened over the last twenty four months,

0:21:02.600 --> 0:21:05.320
<v Speaker 1>I'm very optimistic that we will also be able to

0:21:05.359 --> 0:21:08.120
<v Speaker 1>cope with whatever happens next. And how do you see

0:21:08.160 --> 0:21:11.840
<v Speaker 1>your role changing in the years ahead. I think it

0:21:12.000 --> 0:21:14.520
<v Speaker 1>is changing at a very rapid pace, which is a

0:21:14.520 --> 0:21:18.000
<v Speaker 1>great thing because it never gets boring. Um, those elements

0:21:18.040 --> 0:21:22.359
<v Speaker 1>I just mentioned for the group overall, digitalization and sustainability

0:21:22.560 --> 0:21:25.840
<v Speaker 1>are also hugely irrelevant for the finance role. It's like

0:21:25.880 --> 0:21:28.000
<v Speaker 1>a new language you have to learn, and you learn

0:21:28.040 --> 0:21:30.840
<v Speaker 1>the vocabulary, but then you also have to develop a feeling.

0:21:30.880 --> 0:21:32.920
<v Speaker 1>If I kind of like, put so much capital into

0:21:32.960 --> 0:21:35.840
<v Speaker 1>this de carbonization measure, I get so much in terms

0:21:35.840 --> 0:21:39.160
<v Speaker 1>of return out of it. But that's a fascinating opportunity

0:21:39.440 --> 0:21:42.280
<v Speaker 1>where we can make a huge difference for finance and

0:21:42.320 --> 0:21:44.879
<v Speaker 1>for the group overall. As you look to the future, Melanie,

0:21:45.000 --> 0:21:46.760
<v Speaker 1>what do you think is going to be the skill sets,

0:21:47.040 --> 0:21:50.480
<v Speaker 1>the knowledge basis They're going to be essential to the

0:21:50.560 --> 0:21:55.080
<v Speaker 1>success of future CFOs. Guess probably the two most essential

0:21:55.560 --> 0:21:59.800
<v Speaker 1>new skills will be to get even better at lifelong learning,

0:22:00.280 --> 0:22:03.320
<v Speaker 1>because we will have to learn so much new stuff

0:22:03.359 --> 0:22:06.800
<v Speaker 1>every year, be it in the digitalization area, be it

0:22:06.840 --> 0:22:11.400
<v Speaker 1>on sustainability. So this ability also as a fifty year

0:22:11.440 --> 0:22:14.800
<v Speaker 1>plus old person to keep learning and keep the curiosity,

0:22:14.960 --> 0:22:17.359
<v Speaker 1>I think that is going to be super essential. And

0:22:17.440 --> 0:22:20.240
<v Speaker 1>the second element will be being a great team player.

0:22:20.640 --> 0:22:23.840
<v Speaker 1>The world is complex, you can't know it all, so

0:22:23.960 --> 0:22:26.960
<v Speaker 1>you really have to work even more strongly with your team.

0:22:27.119 --> 0:22:29.479
<v Speaker 1>What advice would you give to someone who has just

0:22:29.760 --> 0:22:35.520
<v Speaker 1>recently been appointed CFO. That's a great question. I think

0:22:35.560 --> 0:22:39.080
<v Speaker 1>I would probably simply say, be curious and ask as

0:22:39.119 --> 0:22:42.480
<v Speaker 1>many questions as you can, try to learn as much

0:22:42.520 --> 0:22:46.040
<v Speaker 1>as possible, not only in the finance area, but get

0:22:46.080 --> 0:22:49.320
<v Speaker 1>close to the business. Try to really understand the business,

0:22:49.480 --> 0:22:52.080
<v Speaker 1>because only when you are close to the business and

0:22:52.119 --> 0:22:55.639
<v Speaker 1>you understand the fundamental profit drivers will you'll be a

0:22:55.640 --> 0:23:01.040
<v Speaker 1>really great, fearful I'm Tom Mackenzie. This is Bloomberg foot