Bonn, Germany: DHL Supply Chain has appointed Andries Retief as chief commercial officer for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, and Africa). He took up his role on 1 September.
Retief will focus on customer-centric supply chain strategies, developing 23 key markets and strengthening services for small and medium-sized enterprises
Retief joined DHL Supply Chain in 2009 and served in various leadership positions across finance, transport, operations, and country management in Africa, Europe, and Asia. Most recently, he led DHL Supply Chain in Southeast Asia, where he spearheaded the company’s accelerated growth initiatives in multiple countries.
“With the growth opportunities here, from multi-sector industries, strategic locations to rapid urbanization and increasing consumer demand, our customers rely on our solutions to simplify and scale their contract logistics operations,” said Retief.
An immediate key focus will be on the peak season, one of the biggest annual challenges for the logistics industry.
“We anticipate the peak period starting earlier this year where our e-commerce & omni-channel, returns operations including aftermarket business, serve in full gear.
“The primary focus will be ensuring scalable capacity for our customers through our network of warehouses, transportation, and value-added services to quickly accommodate fluctuating volumes. Our goal is to collaborate closely with our customers to develop sustainable supply chain strategies, through our Lead Logistics Partner offering, that allow businesses to confidently navigate the surge in demand during one of the most demanding times of the year.”