Dusseldorf None of the major economies are being hit as hard by the consequences of the Ukraine war as Germany’s. But what does that mean in concrete terms? How will supply chains change? And above all: How does a logistics group as important as Deutsche Post DHL Group prepare for this? Editor-in-Chief Sebastian Matthes discusses this in the Handelsblatt Disrupt podcast with Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post.
If Germany decouples itself from the world, “then that will certainly have a very negative impact on democracy,” says Appel, referring to the consequences of the Ukraine war. Rather, “we must be better than everyone else”. By this he means that Germany should become even more attractive for foreign talent and that infrastructure and digitization must be further developed. “We were too complacent with what we achieved,” he says.
Therefore, in response to the Ukraine war, Germany should not only increase defense spending, but also promote entrepreneurship, bring skilled workers to Germany and make it easier for people from abroad to find work. “Ultimately, if Russia occupies Ukraine, that means we’ll get new workers, including well-educated workers,” he says.
Appel also talks about collapsing supply chains and the expansion of the supply chain warehousing business. Digitization plays a central role in this. Swiss Post uses robots “that work with people,” he says. “Of course, this leads to efficiency gains.”
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The conversation goes far beyond the geopolitical upheavals resulting from the Ukraine war. Appel also explains what his biggest mistake was as a manager, how he’s changed as a leader, and what he’s looking forward to after his tenure as CEO ends. Because from 2023 he will hand over the chairmanship to Tobias Meyer. “Now is the right time,” says Appel. “15 years is long enough.”
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More: The previous episode of Handelsblatt Disrupt can be found here.