For our latest Alfa member interview, we sat down with Walter Daum from Graz, Austria. He explains why he prefers working for and with local, medium-sized companies and why they are more efficient than multinationals.
How did you get started in the logistics industry and what has your journey been like so far?
I started in 1983 as an apprentice and with all the years and various additional educations and practice worked as Terminal Manager, Asia Business Development Director, Network Manager US-Europe, Area Manager South Europe and now as Managing Director Air & Sea.
After various global employers, I decided to join a regional market leader as you are more free to develop new businesses, markets and global customers. While the big global players have vast problems in the day-to-day business operation and various changes in the industry, we as local medium player can change things easily and adjust to our customer´s requirements, which pays back in a volume and turnover growth.
If there is one thing that you could change to the logistics industry, what would it be and why?
To give young and ambitious people in the industry more time to learn and understand the market to get more Know-How, rather than to put them into jobs with high pressure just to achieve turnover and not creating a long term and profitable customer base.
What do you like most about the industry and your job in particular?
Buying and selling, negotiations with a global customer base and forwarders, airlines and shipping lines. To get to know people all over the world and dealing with them, learning from other cultures and their behaviour, having good communication and developing business on a multilateral level. But even more, if you work hard and provide excellent service, you can protect our own job security – you are appreciated by all companies all over the world and will never ever have a problem to find a good job.
How do you set yourself apart from your competitors?
I am available for my customers 24/7 – this since my start in the industry. All my customers know and appreciate this attitude with giving me all their possible business. Although it is not easy to combine this attitude with my private life, it does bring a lot of long term business and almost friendships with customers. But if you like your work and see it almost as hobby, it doesn’t create a bad impact in your life – to know that the customer pays your salary is very important and should be recognized by many more people nowadays.
What do you like the most about being a member of our logistics network?
I like to deal with small and medium forwarders around the Globe – this is more efficient and you get to know the people easier. During the annual meetings you really have the chance to meet almost all members and talk about real business and bring them down to paper as well.
How do you relax in your free time?
My passion is my big garden where I can work and this is quite relaxing for me after long business hours and business trips. The area where I live in South Austria is wine area and we compare it with Tuscany – so actually I live in a holiday area and can enjoy all the nice things there.
— Thanks, Walter!
