Interview with Mariusz Mik
| Mr. Mariusz Mik was appointed Vice President Ground Operations Eastern Europe at FedEx Express Europe in December 2016. In this role, he is directly responsible for Ground Operations, which encompasses all aspects of FedEx pickup and delivery, service quality and cost improvement in 10 Eastern European countries. Mariusz joined FedEx Express in 2013 as the Managing Director of Operations in Poland. Throughout his career he has gained a wealth of operational and management experience through positions as Managing Director in the automotive, manufacturing and chemicals sectors, at both Polish and international companies. Before joining FedEx, he was Chief Operating Officer (COO) for CTL Logistics, one of the largest privately owned logistics companies operating in Central Europe. |
| 1. FedEx is a global player with a unique position in the logistics sector. Looking back on a highly unusual last year. What is your take on 2020? 2020 was a very challenging year for the entire logistics industry including FedEx. Travel restrictions, border closures, and flight cancellations impacted the global supply chain. We had to follow different pandemic control rules and regulations, which varied by country or region. With the development of vaccines against Covid-19, a new logistical challenge was added with vaccine transportation. Our vital role at FedEx became to keep global supply chains moving, and being able to provide additional capacities made us an indispensable intercontinental operator during the pandemic. We played a critical role in delivering a personal protective equipement and vaccines around the world, and at the same time helping our customers continue to run their businesses under very different circumstances. 2. Can you think of any economic trends – specifically as a result of coronavirus – that are here to stay? The past months, and the whole year of 2020, have brought many changes on top of a challenging economic and public health and environment. The pandemic has radically accelerated, influenced, and reshaped trends, including one we were already seeing – e-commerce. The way consumers shop is changing every day and rapidly transforms the retail landscape. Research shows that 49[BC1] % of shoppers will continue to shop online more frequently once the COVID-19 outbreak is over. Online spending was projected to go up globally by 14% to €2.96 trillion this calendar year. Because of this significant uptake in e-commerce, we are focused on continuing to invest in our capabilities in this space, so we can grow and continue to support our customers. 3. FedEx moves packages and freight to both people and businesses. Please, tell us about company’s solutions that make FedEx unique in the market and keep the business one step ahead of its competitors? Our goal is to internalize consumer and logistics trends and be there for our customers with the right solutions. As I mentioned, global trends indicate further growth in e-commerce, as more customers are choosing to shop online. It means SMEs are transforming their businesses in response, for example transforming digitally. To compete in the e-commerce market, business decision makers are striving to deliver seamless customer experiences. Increasingly, they want partners who can help them achieve bigger goals, not just shipping. In this new and dynamic environment, our role has changed from being “just” a shipping provider to the role of business partner that helps them change, grow, and achieve their goals. Nowadays FedEx exists at the intersection of the physical and the digital worlds, helping to power e-commerce businesses around the world every day, as evidenced by our tagline: “FedEx. Where Now Meets Next.” Our services meet the needs of our customers’ customers: quick delivery, easy returns, lots of pick-up and drop-offs, and visibility over shipments. One of our newest offers in our portfolio is the FedEx International Connect Plus service, which enables online businesses to offer their customers an additional international shipping option at attractive prices. The new service comes with the reliability of FedEx’s international, day-definite delivery service, coupled with FedEx’s customs clearance expertise. Other supporting capabilities include tracking, sending out notifications to receivers, and flexibility to change delivery options via FedEx Delivery Manager®, which provides shoppers with visibility, more control, and convenience over their online orders. 4. When it comes to Brexit, there is no question the uncertainty surrounding the entire process has affected whole supply chain. What does Brexit mean for FedEx and your customers? With Brexit, to put it simply, we’ve moved from a situation with no border to one with a border. And this creates additional barriers. The more barriers there are, the more complex and costlier it is to trade. With this in mind and knowing how much would depend on us, we spent the years leading up to Brexit preparing for this new situation, investing in systems and resources for the transition. From the very beginning, however, we knew how important our customers, and their readiness for the change, would be. We have over four decades of experience in cross-border trade and a deep expertise in customs clearance, which we have drawn on to support our customers get Brexit-ready and have the right processes and documentation in place. In retrospect, I can say that our preparation has proven to be effective, and our customers navigated the change successfully. |
 | FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenue of $87 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively, operating collaboratively and innovating digitally under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its 560,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. FedEx is committed to connecting people and possibilities around the world responsibly and resourcefully, with a goal to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040. To learn more, please visit fedex.com/about.
In Slovakia, FedEx Express services are provided by TNT Express Worldwide spol. s r. o., which belongs to the FedEx Group.
www.fedex.com |