For this week’s interview, we sat down with Harun Topaloglu from Berlin, Germany. He talked to us about the rapid changes in the logistics industry, the development of their own software and the impact on the environment.

 

How did you get started in the logistics industry and how did you end up with your current company?

I graduated from university as a naval engineer, and while I had been working in shipyards for some years, I had been searching the ships we built, except for the construction technique, for their cargo type, purpose, potential customers and in which seas they operate. 

Later, in parallel with my academic career in ship management, I became a freight forwarder guy as many of us similarly started from the operations. I held the following positions, respectively: Tank Container Operator, FCL, LCL, Air Freight, Road and Rail Freight, Project Cargo, Ship Agency and Chartering. 

I have been the General Manager of our group of shipping companies for more than the last 10 years of my nearly 20-year logistics career. At the same time, since 2017, I am both one of the partners and the Managing Director of the company we established in Berlin, Germany.

If you could change one thing about the logistics industry, what would it be?

That’s a very open question indeed and the answer will vary depending on the geography and time. When I take it from a global perspective, the answer would be a solution that would protect the environment and natural life. Every customer expects to get shipments faster, with more cargo visibility and more transparency surely at a lower price. Unfortunately, priority is still not protecting the environment and emitting fewer greenhouse gases, and so consumption has no end. To elaborate with a simple example, many countries have their own drinking water sources but still import big amounts of bottled water that travel over thousands of miles, with huge amounts of fossil fuel consumption. I would like to change the culture of supply and demand trends.

What do you like about being a freight forwarder?

Freight Forwarding is facing an era of unprecedented change as digitization takes hold and customer expectations evolve. I love that the industry is very dynamic and changes in parallel with technology. In addition, the vital importance of competition and foresighted planning is extremely gripping. 
Gaining new customers is fascinating because of the competition it sparks. Also hiring new team members from different backgrounds intrigues me since their knowledge adds cultures value to my business. Discovering new technologies, improving business models in our company and increasing efficiency gives me the joy of success.

How did COVID-19 impact your business?

First, my condolences to the people who lost their lives in Covid. Indeed, we have become a generation that has witnessed these challenging years in human history. Unlike other sectors, logistics is one of the lucky industries that continue without closing. I think each company has its own business model and the best way to run its operations independently is having their in-house software. 

We have spent big efforts to become stronger with our own software over a decade. I am also very pleased that I am one of the main architects of this software. We were able to switch all our employees to the home office working model during the pandemic period without any business loss. 

In addition, unlike our competitors, we made more investment and purchase of people in the pandemic, so I see how accurate it is today. Now, our software has become a favorite of our customers and we continue to digitize all possible parts of our entire business processes.

What do you do to relax in your spare time?

My favorites are always outdoor sports. Jogging in the fresh air and nature makes my mind relax and I am extremely happy to feel like a part of nature. During the pandemic period, especially windsurfing, Brazilian capoeira and snowboarding are the sports I miss the most. On the other hand, with the rising trend of a home office, activities with my children like playing, painting, bicycling, skating are feasible. Also, horse care and riding with my family are among our favorites. Personally, I like watching technology videos and swimming indoor.

What are your company’s goals for the next 5 years?

To summarize, our 5-year targets with a few key points in logistics services:

  • Being able to sell freight rates online via our digital platform. Parallel to online freight sales together with some automation models we aim to be 100% digital in all our workflows.
  • Increasing the number of our employees to +500.
  • Becoming a workplace where employees dream of working in their career.
  • Being one of the market leaders between the countries where we have our own offices regionally.

— Thanks, Harun !