Emirates SkyCargo has notched yet another milestone by flying in COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech to the UAE for the first time for the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The vaccines were transported from Brussels on Emirates flight EK 182 on 22 December 2020, arriving at Dubai International Airport (DXB) at 22.15 local time.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Group said: “Emirates is proud to be transporting the first batch of Pfizer vaccines for COVID-19 into the UAE for the Dubai Health Authority. Our healthcare ecosystem has played an absolutely critical role in every step of the fight against COVID-19. I would like to thank everyone who has worked unceasingly over the last year to protect the lives of those most vulnerable against the disease. In recognition of their immense contribution for the wellbeing of everyone in the UAE, it has been our honor to transport these vaccines free of charge on our flight.”
Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo said: “At Emirates SkyCargo we are doing our part to join Dubai’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the effective management of the pandemic by Dubai’s visionary leadership, the city has retained its position as a global logistical hub for connecting vital cargo including PPE, medical supplies, vaccines, food and other essential items. Emirates SkyCargo has set up the world’s largest airside hub dedicated to distributing COVID-19 vaccines and we stand ready to support not just Dubai, but countries around the world, including markets with limited cool chain infrastructure with our advanced capabilities. By transporting COVID-19 vaccines across our extensive network, we look forward to helping people around the world get back on their feet after the devastating impact of the pandemic.”
On arrival at DXB, the containers with the vaccines were unloaded on priority from the aircraft and then taken to Emirates SkyCargo’s dedicated pharma facility Emirates SkyPharma to await clearance for delivery.
Emirates SkyCargo is no stranger to transporting vaccines and other temperature sensitive pharmaceutical cargo. The carrier has more than two decades experience in transporting pharmaceuticals on its aircraft and has set up state of the art EU GDP certified facilities dedicated for storing and handling pharma cargo in Dubai. Emirates SkyCargo has also established a global Pharma Corridors program working with ground handlers and local airports at major pharma origin and destination stations for enhanced cool chain protection. The current pharma network covers over 30 cities across the world including Brussels.
More recently, Emirates SkyCargo has set up the world’s largest dedicated airside storage and distribution hub for COVID-19 vaccines in Dubai with the capacity to store up to an estimated 10 million doses of vaccine at the 2-8C temperature range at any one point of time. With its advanced infrastructure, extensive network and modern all wide-body aircraft fleet, Emirates SkyCargo can transport COVID-19 vaccines rapidly and securely from manufacturing locations to destinations across six continents. Emirates SkyCargo has already commenced distribution of COVID-19 vaccines from a range of manufacturers and geographies.
MAN Truck & Bus has introduced a powerful enterprise grade telematics solution for customers in the Middle East-Africa (MEA) region. This dynamic solution suite is designed to support improved levels of fleet efficiency & safety, and reduce environmental impact. EcoStyle has been fine-tuned through millions of hours in service, and combines powerful technology to help customers enhance their earnings.
The introduction of this solution is part of the digitalisation initiatives at MAN. EcoStyle provides customers with key operational information, allowing them to monitor fuel consumption, driver performance, and much more. Dashboards provide full visibility of the information that matters at a glance, or users can delve deeper through a rich suite of reports and views.
“Over the years, MAN vehicles have become reference for reliability and efficiency. However, our customers are constantly looking at ways to achieve greater operational efficiency with the aim to increase their earnings. With the MAN EcoStyle, we are confident that customers will get to gain more from their vehicles,” said Joerg Mommertz, Senior Vice President, Head of Sales Area Middle East, Africa & Latin America (MEA&LA), MAN Truck & Bus.
MAN Truck & Bus has partnered with Microlise, a UK-based company that has developed and tested this solution suite. EcoStyle lets customers
track their vehicles in real-time. This has been enabled by integrating with Google Maps. Customers can get detailed information about each vehicle in their fleet and get street level view.
Leading global logistics provider Agility becomes the first in its industry to operate double-trailer trucks in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, which the company says is an investment to improve its operational efficiencies for customers and reduce emissions by cutting the number of trips made.
Agility operates an extensive fleet of trailers in Abu Dhabi. About 50 of those are now double-trailer trucks. Double trailers significantly reduce the number of trips required to haul cargo, decreasing overall wear and tear on tires and vehicles.
In the first six months of operation, Agility’s fleet management data demonstrates that double trailers reduce fuel use by 26% per container, eliminating about 2,500 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.
Houssam Mahmoud, Chief Executive Officer for Agility Abu Dhabi, said: “In addition to being environmentally friendly, the double trailers will positively impact productivity – and that’s good for both Agility and our customers. We are able to pass a lot of this benefits to our customer by providing greater flexibility and a significant reduction in the number of required trips.”
Acquiring the permit to operate double-trailer trucks took six months of proposals, trials, accident simulations, and safety demonstrations. Agility worked together with a local automotive distributor to develop the safest possible solution for the market, including Active Brake Assist 4, proximity control, and lane assist.
Agility conducted a transport route survey to identify any routes that might be risky or challenging for drivers. Agility insisted on lane assist capability for the vehicles, and proposed it to the supplier after determining that drivers would need help to navigate sharp round-a-bouts.
In the United Arab Emirates, Agility has an industry-leading safety record, linking driver incentive pay to safety, rather than speed of operations, and has voluntarily provided extensive third-party training on double trailers to ensure it maintains its excellent record.
With annual revenues of about $5.2 billion, Agility has more 26,000+ employees in more than 100 countries. It is one of the world’s top freight forwarding and contract logistics providers, and a leader and investor in technology to enhance supply chain efficiency. It is a pioneer in emerging markets and one of the largest private owners and developers of warehousing and light industrial parks in the Middle East, Africa & Asia.
GITEX Technology Week serves as an umbrella for the region’s leading technology shows, including GITEX Future Stars, the region’s largest tech startup event; the Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC), the region’s most renowned cybersecurity conference & exhibition; Future Blockchain Summit, the leading platform for ransformative technology; and the inaugural edition of Marketing Mania, the new platform for brand marketers.
Dubai, the futuristic business capital and global transport hub of the United Arab Emirates, welcomed more than 1,200 innovative tech enterprises, startups and government entities from more than 60 countries, including Israel, in the world’s first live tech event amid the pandemic, the 40th GITEX Technology Week.
Placing strict safety and health protocols, all visitors and participants wore masks while observing social distancing throughout the five-day event (6-10 December 2020) that drew more than 200 of the most active investors and VCs and over 350 speakers from 30 countries.
GITEX Technology Week serves as an umbrella for the region’s leading technology shows, including GITEX Future Stars, the region’s largest tech startup event; the Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC), the region’s most renowned cybersecurity conference and exhibition; Future Blockchain Summit, the leading platform for transformative technology; and the inaugural edition of Marketing Mania, the new platform for brand marketers.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said tech industry is crucial to the world’s successful transition to the future.
“Technology is an important tool to enhance people’s lives and enable them to overcome challenges and turn them into opportunities. As the region’s technology hub, we seek to create a highly conducive environment to promote greater investments in the sector and attract the world’s best talent to develop innovative solutions that can help us strengthen our progress towards sustainable development,” Sheikh Mohammed said in a Tweet.
Crown Prince of Dubai H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who opened the event, said GITEX Tech Week is one of a series of initiatives Dubai is taking to inject confidence back into vital sectors, regionally and internationally, while reinforcing Dubai’s role as a global hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration in the tech industry.
“By hosting the world’s only live global technology event in 2020, Dubai and the UAE have demonstrated global leadership in accelerating economic recovery in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,” Sheikh Hamdan said.
“With its strong management of the pandemic and comprehensive precautionary measures, the international technology community considers Dubai as one of the safest destinations to host global events of this magnitude. The positive response to the event also shows that the world’s tech industry looks to the emirate as a key player in revitalizing networking, partnership building and knowledge sharing in the sector,” he added.
Global Collaboration
GITEX brought under one roof tech driven nations like Japan, France, Israel, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, USA, UK, Belgium, Brazil, Italy, Hong Kong, Poland, Romania, India and Nigeria, which had pavilions of their own showcasing different companies.
In all, some 90 local and international government entities participated in the event.
Business France, the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy, launched at the event its first ever virtual showroom, the French Design Corner Middle East, exclusively dedicated to interior design professionals and architects in the Middle East to showcase their unique creations and designs such as furniture, decorative items, home accessories and more.
“While waiting for the much-awaited better days more conducive to in-person meetings, entrepreneurs, architects, decorators and interior design professionals can connect virtually through the French Design Corner Middle East, which aims to offers a space to explore exceptional French designers and know more about the French luxury industry, in a short moment of sharing knowledge and enriching experiences for all,” said Frederic Szabo, Managing Director, Business France Middle East, noting that “Made in France” has become synonymous with quality, style, and know-how.
Dubai Customs, a vital component of the emirate’s economy, showcased its latest smart blockchain and AI based innovations and services, setting the tone of future tech in the region and beyond
“We always aspire to introduce new things that dazzle the world and disrupt the trade and transport sectors in fulfilment of the national ambitious UAE Centennial 2071 Project, the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031, and Dubai Paperless Strategy 2021,” said Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General of Dubai Customs.
Global telecom giants Huawei, du, Etisalat, Nokia, others, also participated in the event, drawing curious crowds in various products and gadgets they have showcased.
Uber and Hyundai Motor Company’s Uber Air Taxi prototype, which was first unveiled in Las Vegas, was a hit at the event.
This electric-powered air taxi can accommodate several passengers in one lift. With speed of up to 180 miles/hour, it is designed to take off vertically, transition to wing-borne lift in cruise, and then transition back to vertical flight to land.
AI, Cloud, 5G, Digital Economy & Cybersecurity
With memorable moments of face-to-face business networking and discussions, forums, fascinating tech experiences and content, tons of live hacks and demos, GITEX Technology Week concluded with an interesting future where innovations will rule, setting the stage for five Smart Cities mega-trends of 2021—AI, cloud, 5G, digital economy, and cybersecurity.
Leading UAE-based IT infrastructure and information management consultancy and solutions provider, Condo Protego, said the UAE is leading innovation in the world’s SMART Cities market which is expected to reach US$546 billion by 2027.
Condo Protego said AI is already widely being used for facial recognition in airports, predicting utilities spikes, and preventing disease outbreaks. Organizations also now use AI with machine learning algorithms and real-time analytics to optimize their insights.
In digital transformation, data storage, data analytics, and hybrid cloud environments can combine to deliver the biggest business benefit.
As data storage drops in cost and increases in performance, organizations can adopt affordable, flexible, and scalable high-performance storage infrastructure. Data storage plus virtualization can enable remote and hybrid working and learning.
Ultra-fast 5G mobile broadband networks are the foundation for the Internet of Things, Internet 4.0, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution while 5G can enable autonomous vehicles that safely reduce traffic, smart factories, and mega-events, Condo noted.
The Coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to the brink of collapse, rendered more than half a billion people jobless, tragically killed more than 1.6 million people and infected over 71 million across the world.
The road to recovery remains difficult despite the relatively quick discovery of vaccines to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
And certain industries like air cargo, logistics and their supply-chains are crucial to stop the pandemic by safely transporting the vaccines and keeping the global economy rolling with the seamless flow of medical supplies and other essential goods for personal consumption, exports, re-exports or imports.
In Saudi Arabia, home to approximately over 35 million people, including the estimated 10 million expats it hosts from different countries, Saudi Arabian Logistics Company (SAL), the long-enduring cargo ground-handling and logistics provider of the national carrier since the country’s aviation industry was formally established 75 years ago, was quickly put to the test during the pandemic.
Overcoming the pandemic challenges
Saudi Arabian Logistics Company (SAL) quickly showed its agility, flexibility and resilience to adopt to the new normal despite coming to terms to its new independent status only in January of 2020.
The pandemic has kept the air cargo and logistics industry busier than usual. The major challenge was how to keep their operations running while the whole world was in lockdown, gripped by an invisible virus that knocked down all business activities.
SAL CEO Omar Hariri, concurrently the CEO of Saudia Cargo, explained their cargo operations wasn’t suspended despite the threat of the pandemic.
In fact, the company even resorted to operating passenger planes as freighters to meet the demand in hauling vital medical cargo and supplies. Between March to June alone more than 75,000 tons of cargo were hauled to the Kingdom, carried through 1,500 flights operated during the period.
On the ground, it was SAL that carefully handled all the shipments, safely carrying them to warehouses or cold storage facilities en route to their final destinations, including facilitating their quick Customs clearances.
Shipments from different KSA businesses bound to different countries were also handled by SAL on the ground until they are boarded to the aircraft.
“Our operational team with back-office support rose to the task and made it possible to handle the heavy incoming movement of pharmaceuticals, perishables, foodstuff, PPE and other medical supplies along with e-Commerce shipments,” the SAL CEO proudly shared and noted new safety and health protocols were quickly put in place to protect their team on the ground as well as the shipments they were handling.
He said the heavy influx in the movement of cargo shipments was managed by splitting the load into different stations in the country and supporting customers by way of a strong feeder road connection, as necessary.
“It is important to mention that the support we received from other stakeholders, especially from the Saudi Customs, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) and the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) was tremendous to ensure that we maintain the supply chain of urgent supplies for our people,” said Hariri.
The result: SAL remarkably delivered its tasks through adoption of innovative industry solutions which include having cool dollies for the airside movement; thermal blankets, dry ice capabilities and feeder road services for general and refrigerated shipments along with the launching of new facilities for handling e-Commerce and pharmacy in the main airports of the country that helped maintain the supply chain cycle.
Ready for COVID vaccine distribution
Approximately 19 billion doses of COVID vaccines are needed to immunize up to 70 percent of the world’s 7.8 billion people against the invisible virus.
This delicate historic life-saving mission again requires cooperation from various governments, regulatory agencies and industries like the healthcare, pharmaceuticals, logistics, air cargo and their supply-chains, among others.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents 290 airlines worldwide, said the industry expects the COVID vaccines to be the largest airlift of a single commodity in its history. To deliver just a single dose of the vaccines to the entire planet would require at least 8,000 B-747 aircraft or jumbo jets.
IATA noted land transport will help, especially in developed economies with local manufacturing capacity. But vaccines cannot be delivered globally without the significant use of air cargo and its supply-chains on the ground like SAL.
“Even if we assume that half the needed vaccines can be transported by land, the air cargo industry will still face its largest single transport challenge ever. In planning their vaccine programs, particularly in the developing world, governments must take very careful consideration of the limited air cargo capacity that is available at the moment. If borders remain closed, travel curtailed, fleets grounded and employees furloughed, the capacity to deliver life-saving vaccines will be very much compromised,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
Forging alliances with key government agencies in Saudi Arabia along with making careful logistics planning, SAL says it is prepared to take on its new challenge during this pandemic—handle COVID vaccines for distribution in the Kingdom.
SAL had since tied up with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) and Saudi Customs for these delicate cargo’s successful transport from the plane to their final destinations.
“This is the biggest task yet for SAL in its barely a year of operation as an independent entity. SAL has all the necessary mechanisms in place for the safe transport of the vaccines upon delivery at the airport, to the storage facilities, until they reach their final destinations within Saudi Arabia,” said Hariri, emphasizing that the company is looking “at the possibility of transporting shipments from the aircraft directly to dedicated transport vehicles with capability of replenishing dry ice to avoid breaking the cold chain.”
“The whole transportation will be monitored and escorted by trained personnel to ensure that the integrity of the shipment remain intact,” added Hariri who was also recently voted to serve as the Chairman of the Executive Board of SkyTeam Cargo, the biggest global alliance of air cargo carriers.
Hariri said SAL, noting “the considerable growth of cold chain products into the kingdom,” has “decided to invest in state-of-the-art facility that will be three times bigger than its current facility.”
This facility, he said, has a dedicated team responsible for managing the cold chain shipments from arrival until delivery in the declared temperature range.
“The facility is equipped with high-tech temperature and humidity monitoring system that record the temperature every five minutes and alerts in case of deviations,” Hariri explained.
It will also have a sophisticated laboratory for SFDA and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) to expedite and enhance the clearance process. Likewise, the facility will have two dedicated screening machines for Customs, ensuring a flawless procedure while the tasks are being done in the required temperature range.
“We have invested in doubling our facilities’ capacity for the storage, increasing it to over 7,000 sqm to handle and accommodate cold chain shipments with temperature range varying from 15°C to 25°C, 2°C to 8°C and frozen at -10°C to -20°C with high-tech temperature and humidity monitoring system at the main airports in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam,” Hariri said.
New Facilities unveiled
Last month, SAL unveiled its new facilities for pharmaceuticals and perishables located at Riyadh’s Cargo Village inside the King Khalid International Airport.
The launch of the Riyadh cold storage facilities comes at a historic moment that coincides with the much-anticipated global distribution of COVID vaccines.
His Excellency the Saudi Minister of Transport Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser led the inauguration of the facilities with the Ministry assuring the country’s readiness in terms of infrastructure, transportation and people, to handle the historic life-saving mission of distributing the COVID vaccines.
“The new facilities will handle refrigerated and pharmaceutical cargoes and have an area of 5,000 square meters and four main sections: Delivery, Inspection, Temperature-Controlled Storage and Cargo Sorting. They can handle 100 tons a day and have 13 refrigerated storages for perishables and pharmaceutical cargoes with different temperatures. These facilities meet modern global standards and also the needs of suppliers,” Hariri explained.
The new facilities have four docks for loading refrigerated containers. Its warehouses have different temperatures ranging from -20°C to 25°C to suit the nature and type of cargo to be stored.
The opening of the facilities ushers in a new and advanced phase for handling sensitive cargoes including foodstuffs that require special care. Within the facilities are divisions run by SFDA and the Saudi Customs to inspect and expedite the cargo handling process to avoid an unbreakable cool chain.
Combined, the new pharmaceuticals and perishable facilities can adequately handle up to 365,000 tons of cargo a year.
They also have a 650 sqm temperature control breakdown area as well as space for shipping refrigerated containers enough for 20 active containers. It is also equipped with a thermal isolation area.
Beyond Saudi’s capital Riyadh, SAL also has facilities in Dammam, the city where Saudi Aramco is based and Jeddah, the country’s business capital. All three facilities are fit for high volumes of general cargo and temperature-sensitive shipments.
Building a robust workforce
Continuing to build on the strength of its skilled workforce, SAL regularly conducts and facilitates training for its people on the ground like the ramp service agents and ground handlers as well as those involved in other operations—sales, accounting, warehouse & inventory, compliance and safety, administration, customer service, among others.
“We provide the required training in the hands of specialized, qualified and certified trainers for ground operations that is appropriate for every job and task performed by ground handling personnel,” said Hariri.
Training solutions were done according to appropriate methods, whether through virtual classes or training rooms and on-the-job training.
This, alongside a specialized department for writing, developing and updating training curricula under the supervision of specialists to keep the pace with developments in the field of ground-handling, according to the requirements of GACA and IATA.
The courses are segregated into two main courses – mandatory, which covers safety management systems, aviation security, health and safety as well as fire prevention and emergency response procedures among others; and functional, which, among others, include air cargo principles, handling of and regulating dangerous goods, transporting live animals, and handling special cargoes and sensitive pharmaceuticals.
Investing on new technologies & the future
Recognizing the importance of digitalization in today’s digital world, SAL continues to upgrade and invest on tech-driven systems, equipment and facilities that will enhance and make its services more efficient.
It is also actively digitalizing and automating its services, including availing different means of data capturing to improve productivity and on-time performance-based on real time data visibility and transparency.
Likewise, it is following an E-business approach to integrate with all stakeholders and go paperless with all its internal and external transactions. It has also invested on cybersecurity technologies to assure a safe and secure workplace for all stakeholders.
“Businesswise—SAL is focusing on customer centricity by investing in latest technologies to enhance and improve customers relation. In addition, SAL invested in its infrastructure to automate and digitize its services and avail different means of data capturing in order to improve productivity and on time performance based real time data visibility and transparency,” the SAL CEO explained.
“Environmentally—SAL is following an E-business approach to integrate with all stakeholders and go paperless with all its internal and external transactions. E-freight, E-AWB, E-CSD and E-DG are some of the prime electronic documents SAL is steadily progressing to fully enable,” he added.
Under Saudi Vision 2030, Saudi is reinventing its oil-based economy into diversified markets, mainly consisting of tourism, healthcare, transportation, education, among other industries.
Part of this long-term goal is to develop Saudi as a global logistics hub which gave rise to the Saudi Logistics Hub government initiative seeking to position the country as a strategic gateway at the crossroads of three continents—Asia, Africa and Europe.
As the biggest economy in the Middle East, Saudi commands more than 50% of the logistics market share in the GCC region. In 2019, the country saw 47% increase in the number of new foreign transport and logistics companies, according to the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority.
This year, Saudi was ranked as having one of the world’s fastest-growing logistics sector by the World Bank Group’s Doing Business 2020 report, jumping 30 positions to 62nd place.
“The logistics sector is undoubtedly a vital component in the country’s quest to diversify its economy in a changing world. We have put in place all the necessary measures to make sure SAL contributes to the seamless flow of goods that come in and out of Saudi’s main entry points to facilitate a healthy global trade for many years to come,” concluded Hariri.
Creativity mixed with innovation can lead to something extraordinary. And that’s exactly what Matthieu Petot, Founder and CEO of CargoAI, did when he created his own company in 2009.
CargoAi, a SaaS application offering air cargo digital solutions to freight forwarders, airlines and GSAs, allows users to manage an entire air cargo booking process via a single tool. The platform also provides customers with data and analytics including 3D viewing of the shipment and capacity forecasts.
Matthieu spent 15 years of his career in the air cargo industry, mostly in the revenue management and business side. Noticing that the buying and selling processes did not move forward despite the wide range of available technology tried and tested in other industries, he decided to offer an alternative innovative solution.
“Like most people working in aviation, I was particularly drawn to airfreight, so I decided to put together a team of talented people capable of understanding the issues and limitations that are unique to air cargo and to address these through a tool and services designed with air cargo in mind,” Matthieu shared.
With his creativity nurtured even at a young age coupled with a daring attitude to try something different, Matthieu assembled a team of passionate young tech experts and innovative thinkers for his CargoAI project.
“I like to fix problems, and technology is a great tool that isn’t too complex when you understand it,” said Matthieu who described himself as an out-of-the-box thinker, pragmatic and proactive. “At CargoAi, we’ve assembled a team of passionate people who are experts in the latest trends in their respective fields, including in Airfreight, Technology, Product, Customer Success and Sales. We carefully select talents, focusing on their proven expertise in the latest technologies and processes. Thanks to this, we implement the most efficient solutions to better serve our customers.”
“Our CTO, for example, is an ex-Microsoft and AWS solutions architect, meaning we are able to implement our full serverless and autoscaling infrastructure as state-of-the-art solutions. For Products, Marketing and Sales, we apply the same level of commitment in bringing together the best practices, the highest standards and the greatest talent,” he added.
With CargoAI fast-growing with more companies in the industry seeking digitalization and innovative solutions, Matthieu manages his time carefully.
His day typically begins at 6 am to do some exercise before taking his kids to school and the rest is spent at work.
“After taking the kids to school, I go into work and time simply flies, as I’m really excited by all the great work our team is doing,” he said.
His free time is pretty much spent with his family and sports, sailing in particular, which he finds really motivating and stimulating.
“I like to spend time with my family and to play sports. One of my favorite hobbies is taking part in sailing competitions, which are great as you have to take care of everything on the boat and it is both physical and intellectual. The person who wins is the person who makes fewest mistakes,” said Matthieu.
As a sports enthusiast, he would like to meet the Swiss tennis superstar Roger Federer who has won 20 Grand Slam men’s singles titles.
“I would like to meet Roger Federer to understand how he drives himself at the top and stay there for so long – and also to play some tennis and have some fun together,” Matthieu shared when asked about a global icon he would like to meet in person.
“Don’t worry, be happy” – is one of his favorite quotes. Life is too short, after all, to be spent simply worrying about everything, finding solutions does matter.
Logistics provider Pilot Freight Services has appointed Teresa M Finley to its board of directors.
Finley currently serves as a senior advisor to Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm, where she provides transportation and logistics expertise.
Finley has more than 30 years of experience in the industry and most recently served as chief marketing officer and business services office, as well as a member of the executive leadership team, at UPS — a role from which she has retired.
As chief marketing officer at UPS, she was responsible for the advancement of global marketing capabilities, including priority growth strategies, product innovation, pricing, communications and brand management.
Her prior roles included chief financial officer at multiple global businesses; corporate controller; treasurer and vice president of finance; and vice president of investor relations.
Finley is also a member of the board of directors of TriMas, a global manufacturer and provider of products for customers predominantly in the consumer products, aerospace and industrial end markets.
Gordon Branov, chief executive at Pilot Freight Services, commented: “We are pleased to have Finley join our board of directors and believe she brings a valuable and diverse perspective from her financial experience and vast knowledge of our industry that will benefit Pilot as we continue to grow and expand in the market.”
Finley added: “As a leading provider of transportation and logistics services, Pilot has a proven record of delivering superior customer experiences and customized solutions for global freight, business-to-business and business-to-consumer home delivery.
“I am energized to be working with the Pilot board, the Pilot team, and the team at ATL Partners to execute on our goals of excellent customer service and continued growth.”
Bombardier recently announced the appointment of Annie Torkia Lagacé as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, effective immediately. Annie will report to Éric Martel, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc., replacing Steeve Robitaille who will remain with the Company in the role of Senior Vice President, Strategic Projects through the completion of the sale of Bombardier Transportation to Alstom, and will ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities to Annie.
“We are thrilled to welcome Annie to the Bombardier leadership team,” said Éric Martel. “She is a proven leader with extensive experience in corporate governance, compliance, securities law, and supporting complex financial and strategic transactions. Annie’s deep legal expertise and business acumen make her an excellent addition to our company.”
Annie brings more than 20 years of experience in the fields of corporate and commercial law, most recently serving as an Executive Vice President of Stornoway Diamonds, where she led various functions, including legal, corporate development, finance and asset protection. Prior to joining Stornoway Diamonds, she was Senior Legal Counsel for the Eastern Canadian Iron Ore division of Cliffs Natural Resources. Previously, Annie practiced law for over 12 years in the Business Law Groups of Stikeman Elliott and Blake, Cassels and Graydon, including four years at Blake’s Beijing office. She holds a Law degree from the University of Ottawa, an Executive MBA from the Kellogg-Schulich program and is a member of the Québec Bar Association.
“Annie will be a tremendous addition to the Bombardier executive team. Her vast experience, energy and judgment will serve us well as we complete our strategic repositioning and focus on achieving the full potential of our industry leading business aviation franchise,” Martel added.
“As we welcome Annie to our company, I also want to thank and recognize Steeve for his many contributions to Bombardier, including the critical role he played in our strategic repositioning. Steeve spearheaded the successful negotiations leading to the sale of Bombardier Transportation to Alstom, the Aerostructures business sale to Spirit AeroSystems and the regional aircraft business sale to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. notably, all of this was accomplished during one of the most challenging periods for the transportation industry. With the strategic repositioning close to completion, Steeve has chosen to purse new challenges outside the company and we wish him the very best in all his future endeavors.”
CAE is pleased to welcome Ben Nicholson as Vice President Washington Operations, effective December 2020. He will be based in Washington, DC.
“I am very pleased to have Ben Nicholson join the CAE team and bring his wealth of experience in government and legislative relations as well as public policy. He has an extensive background in government relations and a thorough understanding of national security businesses and will be an important addition to the CAE team,” said Ray Duquette President & General Manager of CAE USA Inc. “Mr. Nicholson will strengthen CAE’s relationship with the U.S. government, Department of Defense and government agencies, as well as develop closer relationships with OEMs, suppliers and partners.”
In this role, Mr. Nicholson will serve as the senior executive for CAE’s government relations in Washington, D.C., and will be responsible for representing the company with the United States Congress, federal agencies, foreign governments and industry associations. He will provide guidance on U.S. government foreign policy and national priorities related to the defense and security, civil aviation and healthcare sectors, including their impact on CAE pursuits and objectives in the US and international markets.
Mr. Nicholson comes to CAE with 21 years of experience in the Washington, D.C. political and corporate environment. He has extensive expertise in US government operations, programs, and contracting, including congressional operations, economic development and the federal appropriations process for national defense, aerospace, security and intelligence programs.
Prior to joining CAE, he was the Vice President, Global Government Relations for Honeywell International. He held a key role in leading government relations efforts in aerospace, defense and other national security businesses. Prior to that role, Mr. Nicholson served as the Vice President, Government Affairs, at L3 Technologies. He began his career with the U.S. Coast Guard as a Commissioned Officer for nine years before returning to civilian life as a professional staff member for the US House of Representative committee on Appropriations, also supporting the Subcommittee on Homeland Security.
Mr. Nicholson holds a Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the US Coast Guard Academy and two Master of Science degrees in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering and Resource Policy & Behavior from the University of Michigan.
DHL Global Forwarding has appointed Clement Blanc as managing director for its business in South Africa, one of the key markets for the logistics giant in the fast-growing region. Blanc reports to Amadou Diallo, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding, Middle East and Africa.
With more than two decades of experience in the industry, Blanc spent more than 18 years of that with DHL Global Forwarding – largely based in Asia Pacific where he took on a range of roles including business management, account servicing as well as key trade lane management. Prior to joining the team in South Africa, Blanc was the managing director for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, a role he held from 2011 to 2019 where he led the business to achieve a triple-digit growth in revenue. He first joined the team in Vietnam in 2009 as head of commercial, and in 2011, was promoted to managing director given his instrumental role in clinching key business wins.
Amadou Diallo, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding, Middle East and Africa commented: “Clement is a great colleague whom I have had the wonderful pleasure to work with and it gives me great assurance knowing that he will steer our business toward continued growth. Whilst the world’s economy has somewhat faltered in 2020, signs of recovery are popping up with production restarting in several countries on the African continent. I’m confident that our South African business is in good hands led by a veteran like Clement.”
Blanc’s career in DHL started in Shanghai, China back in 2001, where he was trade lane manager for the Middle East and Southeast Asia. He was subsequently promoted to take on the role of branch manager in Wuhan and Beijing respectively, and in 2009, he held a brief stint in the regional office in Singapore, as intra-Asia trade lane director.
Clement Blanc, managing director, DHL Global Forwarding South Africa added: “South Africa is still reeling from the impact of the pandemic, but DHL has maintained a strong position globally as well as in the country thanks to our strategic focus on digitalization and our core service offerings. I’m proud to lead a team of dedicated professionals here, and I’m convinced that we are in the best position to continue supporting our customers.”
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