As CEO of DHL Supply Chain Australia & New Zealand and Life Sciences & Healthcare Asia Pacific, Steve drives strategic growth and high-performing operations. Focused on DHL’s 2030 strategy, he leads initiatives to deliver customer value, advance industry leadership and transform operational approaches for a sustainable, successful future across ANZ.
Together, we’re driven by our purpose of ‘Connecting People – Improving Lives’. Our ambition is to be the best end-to-end supply chain business and a great place to work, offering excellence in service to our customers.
Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) are unique among global markets due to their geographical distance from major hubs. This distance necessitates specific logistics strategies, as visibility of incoming freight is key. In Australia, longer supply chain lead times and a small population spread across a vast landmass make freight consolidation essential for optimizing costs. This region also experiences unique weather conditions, often necessitating temperature-controlled storage and transport. The supply chain landscape in ANZ is constantly evolving, with a strong sustainability focus, country-specific regulation and growing market demands. DHL Supply Chain serves the ANZ region with full national coverage across both countries. Domestic road freight is central to our operations, complemented by robust warehousing. In Australia, we operate over 1,500 owned and captive vehicles from strategically located depots in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Townsville, Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin. In New Zealand, our owned and captive vehicles, operating across six hubs, provide nationwide road express deliveries. Our business is organized by sector, supporting life sciences and healthcare, retail, consumer, technology and automotive fields. Time-critical deliveries to a medical facility or retailer launches rely on our sector enterprise. We deliver coverage and speed, value, sustainability and innovation.
Customer-Centric Supply Chains Driven by People
A "people-first always" mindset is essential for navigating supply chain complexities. Our teams engage with customers across sites and territories, providing visibility throughout the chain. We strive for end-to-end excellence, from order receipt to final delivery, by standardizing and optimizing processes to better serve our customers and, in turn, their customers. Excellence in supply chain leadership means consistently performing at the highest level to delight customers and motivate our workforce.
At DHL, we simplify supply chains in ANZ and are recognized for quality, compliance, sustainability, and innovative solutions. We foster authenticity, respect and a sense of belonging, making DHL a great place to work. We’re in a period of constant transformation in society, business and technology. The latest DHL Logistics Trend Radar™, a guide to emerging trends in logistics, identifies workforce focus and AI ethics as new developments shaping the sector. At the same time, big data analytics, interactive AI and next-gen connectivity continue to have a significant impact.
“Winners in supply chain operations will be those who are customer-centric, listen to their requirements and adapt offerings to meet evolving needs at an efficiency level that optimize both cost and service”
The workforce structure has changed with hybrid working. In logistics, being present as a team and supporting one another is crucial for enhancing the customer experience and driving business growth. Generative AI is evolving at a rapid pace, and we must harness its power to provide customers with key datadriven insights and help grow their businesses.
We are driving several data dashboard initiatives, including Power BI dashboards that give customers real-time visibility and transparency into inbound and outbound supply chain traffic. These insights enable quick business decisions on stock control, optimize delivery routes and more. By integrating digital tools and utilizing data and AI, we deliver continuous digital innovation. We want our customers fully engaged in their supply chain performance; working together, as partners, we can learn and improve by driving innovation. In my opinion, the winners in supply chain operations will be those who are customer-centric, listen to their requirements and adapt their product offerings to meet evolving needs at an efficiency level that optimize both cost and service. Logistics organizations must put customers at the center of every action, driving a resilient and sustainable supply chain excellence.
Developing Talent for Tomorrow’s Supply Chains
I believe there has never been a better time to work in logistics. In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of supply chains has increased globally. Therefore, the industry is actively seeking capable professionals who understand the end-to-end process from supplier to customer, both internationally and domestically. This involves modeling different scenarios and selecting the one that best suits the customer's growth and success. There are a number of learning opportunities, and certainly DHL is at the forefront of this evolution.
While there is much discussion about technology, it is crucial to remember that people are key to implementing these advancements. Therefore, strong people management skills are essential for those looking to advance within DHL Supply Chain. Professionals must also be technically proficient, operationally competent and effective people managers.
Over the past decade, our DHL Certified Supply Chain Specialists (CSCS) program has focused on building respect, results and other important attributes among our workforce. This commitment continues, with managers playing a vital role in training employees, driving employment and fostering continuous learning and development.
My advice to emerging supply chain professionals is to be curious. Challenge the status quo. You will be judged by the questions you ask, so don’t hesitate to pose difficult, insightful questions that encourage deeper thinking. Curiosity is a significant attribute for any professional seeking growth and advancement in the industry.
