Tell us a little bit about yourself
I first joined Cathay Pacific in 2000 as a revenue analyst on the passenger side of the business. However, my passion for the world of air cargo led me here in 2004. After a brief interlude away, gaining experience at IATA and Travelport, I returned to Cathay Pacific in 2010 and became the Head of Cargo Revenue Management two years later. Currently, I hold the position of General Manager Cargo Service Delivery.
Outside of work, I find enjoyment from a variety of activities. I’m an avid reader and love exploring different cuisines and cultures worldwide. Cooking is another passion of mine, and I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. I share these experiences with my wife, Sonia, and our two boys, Don and Nick.
What does your job involve?
As the GM Cargo Service Delivery, my primary responsibility is to ensure the smooth and efficient delivery of cargo services to our customers. While I would like to personally deliver these services, my role is more focused on leading and supporting the team that does. I strive to ensure they’re happy and to provide them with the necessary tools to fulfil our promise to customers.
Tell us about your team
Our Cargo Service Delivery team consists of more than 500 people across our entire network, including our home hub and our regional outports. In collaboration with our ground handling partners, we deliver approximately 5,400 shipments that matter to the world every day, which equates to 3,700 tonnes each day. Approximately a third of these air waybills require our special handling solutions.
How do you instil the We Know How brand ethos across such a dispersed team?
Our ‘We Know How’ campaign emphasises the expertise of our people, which is a key Cathay Cargo differentiator. As we continue to grow and evolve, we recognise the importance of attracting, empowering and retaining new and fresh-at-heart talents.
Recruitment is a challenge for the entire industry at the moment, so finding candidates with the right skills and a passion for excellence is difficult. However, once we have identified the right individuals, we make significant investments in their education, exposure and experience, while equipping them with the necessary tools and processes. Ensuring engagement is also crucial, and we continuously strive to keep our colleagues happy, energised and motivated. Our ultimate goal is to develop people’s careers for the long-term so Cathay Cargo can retain this valuable experience and expertise.
What role will digitisation play?
Digitalisation is reshaping our industry at a rapid pace. Technology has revolutionised the way we operate, streamlining processes, providing transparency in the shipment journey for both us and our customers, and enabling self-management and online booking options. These technologies continue to enhance our efficiency and provide detailed data to us and our customers, and we remain committed to investing in them.
However, when we consider our purpose to ‘move people forward in life by delivering cargo that matters to the world,’ words like ‘move’ and ‘delivering’ have physical connotations. Ultimately, our role involves physically transporting goods from point A to point B professionally.
For me, it’s essential to strike a balance between the physical and digital realms. I use the term ‘phygital’ to encapsulate this approach. While leveraging the benefits of digital, our team focuses on providing hands-on care and expertise for shipments. This allows us to deliver personalised service to our customers.
What are the challenges and opportunities in the coming months?
There are several challenges and opportunities ahead. One significant challenge is to learn as quickly as possible why our customers appreciate our service. I have started meeting with individuals from my team plus industry partners and customers. I’ve asked them all for the top three keywords they associate with cargo service delivery and they’ve helped me to prioritise my learning focus as well as to understand what truly matters to our customers.
Likewise, I have shared my three key terms: ‘who?’, ‘what?’, and ‘what if?’.
‘Who?’ and ‘what?’ are about getting to know my team and our partners better. I’m excited to see what they have done to earn such high customer loyalty. However, I’m also curious about exploring ‘what if’, as in what if we approached things differently to become smarter, more sustainable and more economical. I’m inviting people to join me in imagining and exploring new possibilities to make our team and the industry as a whole more successful.
What does ‘We Know How’ mean to you?
To me, ‘We Know How’ reflects our expertise, reliability, and commitment to delivering exceptional service. As a leader, it also means fostering a culture of continuous learning and cross-collaboration throughout the organisation. I want to empower my team to take ownership and deliver results that our customers value, as they have closer day-to-day interactions with them. By prioritising continuous improvement and customer-centricity, we can uphold the values of the ‘We Know How’ brand ethos.
