Graduate Studies Blog
NANYANG EXECUTIVE MBA
Assessing The Future Of Freight With Nanyang EMBA’s Olivia Cashin
According to the World Trade Organization, the volume of global merchandise trade increased by 9.8 per cent in 2021. The increased demand for global products has directly contributed to the growth of industries such as global freight forwarding.
Freight forwarders navigate customs clearance, shifting shipping fees, and tense political environments to ensure the safe arrival of goods at their destinations. The role of freight forwarders — and indeed, that of most actors within the value chain of global trade – will only evolve in tandem with new changes in the business environment.
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) had the unique opportunity to sit down with Olivia Cashin, VP & Head of Value Added Services APAC at DHL Global Forwarding Management (Asia Pacific) and current EMBA participant to talk about the future of freight forwarding.
Olivia’s history in the freight industry
During her early career as a cargo sales consultant for a German national carrier, Olivia supported global freight forwarders. In this role, she worked to ensure that freight shipments were delivered correctly amidst political or economic crises, changing regulations, and volatile taxes and tariffs.
Olivia was soon headhunted by DHL for her in depth knowledge on freight management. In her 17 years at the German logistics giant, she has contributed to regional strategy in APAC, led the development of international hubs, including Customs Brokerage Services (CDZ), and negotiated with national agencies to influence a regulatory customs framework, among other responsibilities.
Three trends defining the future of freight
Freight forwarding and supply chain logistics have tended to be very traditional, says Olivia, but the world is changing. Technology has made it impossible to stay stagnant; new players like Amazon and Lazada have surprised and innovated in highly disruptive ways to create new arenas of competition. Olivia identifies three major trends defining the industry today:
1) Creative, human-focused strategy in people and change management
Big businesses can be highly resistant to change. DHL operates across hundreds of countries and its global workforce speaks many languages. In large organisations, changes related to technology usage, operational improvements, and newer best practices must be adopted uniformly across hundreds of thousands of people.
“Senior leaders must have the creativity and cultural awareness to design a change management strategy that is relevant to their unique team and regional composition.”
Olivia Cashin
VP & Head of Value Added Services APAC
DHL Global Forwarding Management (Asia Pacific)
The new generation of e-commerce businesses has invested heavily into technologies and platforms that facilitate last-mile logistics, door-to-door delivery, and shipping at scale. Their presence, Olivia explains, has motivated traditional firms to reflect carefully about their own tech roadmap.
She says, “In the world of freight forwarding, there are few off-the-shelf tools or technologies we can use to improve processes. We need a solid strategy to ensure that the technologies we choose are worth the time, effort, and cost.”
3) Infrastructure
External business environments can either help or hinder global trade. Governments in turmoil and trade conflicts have a very real effect on the day-to-day responsibilities of a freight forwarder. Regulations — and the lack thereof — can complicate day-to-day operations.
“No organisation operates in a vacuum.”
Building a career in freight and logistics
Freight forwarding as an industry may not seem glamorous or high-profile, but there is enormous room for growth as international trade becomes more advanced. Concerns within the industry — such as sustainability, automation, and international relations — are waiting to be solved. There are plenty of opportunities for motivated individuals and aspiring women leaders.
Olivia’s first-hand awareness of the industry’s upcoming challenges inspired her to pursue continuing education from a business school. She wanted to expand her connections beyond her daily circles of partners, colleagues, and team members and gain exposure to new trends. She also sought an environment that could refresh and upgrade her cultural dexterity, a sustainability mindset, and creativity.
A confident step forward with NTU’s Nanyang EMBA
Olivia’s requirements were fulfilled by Nanyang Technological University’s Executive MBA (EMBA). Uniquely designed for busy executives who desire practical educational experience, the EMBA offers a deeper understanding of business and its intersection with technology and innovation.
The Nanyang EMBA programme has helped Olivia to nurture more fruitful relationships with her team members and clients while also raising her awareness of the potential impact of technologies such as Web 3.0, the metaverse, and artificial intelligence. “There is so much sharing and learning to be done in the EMBA,” she says. “It has been a deeply invigorating experience.”
As technologies continue to evolve and the workforce becomes more global, senior leaders in freight forwarding and beyond will be called to update their knowledge.
