INSIDE DHL - MEET OUR PEOPLE

Employee Name: Lucia Marciano
Job Title: Management International Sales Manager
Education: Nova Southeastern University, HR and psychology 2013

Originally from Venezuela, Lucia Marcano went to school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and then interned at the DHL headquarters. Since her internship ended four months ago, she’s come on full time as an international sales manager, based in Puerto Rico. Every day she works to build up DHL’s customer base and helps her clients manage international shipments, which includes cost analysis, working on lane paperwork to get shipments through customs efficiently, and implementing any needed ecommerce.

How did you get your start at DHL?

I was studying human resources in school, and my professor asked me if I wanted to be a part of DHL focus group: A new class of DHL managers was learning interviewing skills, and they wanted to practice on individuals outside of the organization. My professor said these mock interviews would be great practice for us, since we all wanted to go into HR. I went through four rounds of videotaped mock interviews, and networked with a ton of DHL managers. A few weeks later, I got contacted by one of the managers I met with who wanted me to come in for a real interview. Looking back I realize they were probably screening for real candidates, but I didn’t know that until I got the phone call!

So now your in sales not HR - how does it compare?

It’s more similar than you’d think! There’s a lot of relationship-building and working with people. I’ve spoken to the HR team at DHL and I’ve realized that going from HR to sales is a harder transition than sales to HR, plus you get better exposure and learn more about the company through sales. This position has been a great career opener for me.

What project are you most proud of?

One of the last projects I completed as an intern was to create a database that included all the different tools DHL sales people use on a day-to-day basis. There are so many tools, that sometimes people forget about them, or aren’t even aware they exist. My manager rolled it out to our territory and the surrounding areas, and we got great feedback! I was happy to make an impact on the efficiency of the sales team, and now I even use it every day!

What is the company culture like?

We have a great open door policy that I’ve seen firsthand. My internship was in the headquarters office in Plantation, Florida. The U.S. CEO sits there, the CFO, and all the higher execs. They walk around the office and are very friendly and open with all employees, and want to hear what’s going on with the sales reps and learn from them. That collegial atmosphere extends to all the different offices I’ve been in.

What is one thing you'd like potential candidates to know about working at DHL?

If they’re looking to be challenged and grow professionally and personally, DHL is a great company to work for. They always say employees are their biggest asset, and it shows through the different benefits we have, employee appreciation days, and the global service day we’re encouraged to take part of. Every communication that comes from the Bonn, Germany headquarters is translated, distributed, and explained to us - from China to Hawaii.

Employee Name: Jerrien Johnson
Job Title: Operations Supervisor, Chemical & Energy Sector, Exel
Education: University of Texas at Dallas, finance and business administration, 2013

As a finance and business major in college, Jerrien Johnson is still surprised to find himself at the helm of a 60-man packaging warehouse in Houston, Texas. Jerrien is an operations supervisor for Exel, the leading contract logistics provider in the U.S. and part of DHL’s supply chain division. Now on the job for 13 months, Jerrien says he’s loved getting to know each associate on his warehouse floor, and helping them find their own voice in the warehouse and in the company.

How did you get your first start at DHL?

I heard about the job at a networking event at my school. I met an Exel recruiter there, we ended up talking for about 20 minutes, and he invited me for a phone interview. Going to school for finance and business, I never thought I’d land in operations. My previous internships were all at brokerage firms and financial institutions, but I quickly realized I wasn’t ready to spend my days behind a computer managing excel spreadsheets. I wanted to make an impact on a team and be a leader. After speaking with the recruiter, I knew Exel’s operations supervisor position sounded like the perfect opportunity for that. 

What have you learned in your role so far?

It goes a long way to treat people with respect. It took me a month to actually start managing people, because when I got here I wanted to be on the floor with the team. The associates respected that I wanted to “get my hands dirty” and understand their work. When I did assume the supervisor role, they respected me and appreciated that I showed an interest in them. Every day I still walk through four warehouses and shake everyone’s hand. Earning that respect has gone a long way for me; the team has become more productive, and our production output is better than ever.

What do you like most about your job?

There’s always something new to do, outside of my day-to-day responsibilities. Whether it’s cross-training packaging employees in warehouse operations, leading warehouse improvements—for instance, I managed a project where we laid steel angles to protect our warehouse walls—recycling old equipment to increase warehouse space and revenue, and even participating on the safety committee, the Southwest college recruiting team, and our diversity team. We just had diversity week in our warehouse, where we exchanged desserts from people’s home countries, played a ‘Name that flag’ game, pinned a map with associate’s birth places, and had an overview of common words used at our site in English and Spanish to increase communication between our associates. We had a blast!

What project are you most proud of?

I’ve most proud of the monthly Associate Involvement meetings that I’ve been leading. When I first started, we had monthly town hall meetings that were pretty dry and very numbers-driven. So I implemented a different agenda: Once a month everyone in packaging comes together, we eat, have a safety presentation, go over relevant items for each department, discuss upgrades to the packaging lines, campus improvements, Exel business outside of City Park, and relevant news about our customer. I keep talk about volume light, so it’s not all about the numbers. Then we have an open forum for feedback, where the team provides a lot of ideas about safety improvements as well as improvements to the packaging lines. In the former town hall meetings when the general managers asked for questions not one of 120 team members would speak up. I’m proud that I’ve turned these meetings around, and made them more productive and comfortable for everyone involved.

Employee Name: John Humphrey
Job Title: International Sales Specialist
Education: Hanover College, International studies and Spanish, 2014

Growing up in Indiana, John Humphrey lived across the Ohio river from a DHL packaging warehouse. In high school he applied for an entry-level position as a package handler, and continued to hold that position part time through college, even through three semesters of studying abroad in Latin America. When it came time to apply for a fulltime job after graduation, DHL was a natural choice, though he decided to explore beyond operations roles. John moved to Arizona to work in sales, and now helps his clients to ship to all seven continents—putting his Spanish and Portuguese language skills to use every day.

What does your typical day look like?

As an international sales specialist, I’m managing a portfolio of about 250 clients based in the Miami-Dade area. I’m there to answer questions about customs regulations and general importing/exporting concerns, and consult with them to help grow their business. We also make acquisition calls to bring new business.

With logistics it’s a lot more than sending something from point A to point B: You collaborate with colleagues and clients around the world, on pretty interesting projects. One of my colleagues got to import all the gowns and clothing for Miami Fashion week, and later that week he saw them all live on TV. I’ve only been here a few months and I’ve shipped everything from airplane parts to kids’ soccer uniforms. It’s pretty humbling to be one important piece in the DHL equation.

What was your perception of DHL before you started?

I didn’t know who DHL was! I worked for them in high school, but didn’t realize what an international presence they had until I traveled abroad in college. DHL is everywhere overseas: We’re more international than the United Nations, and over 50 percent of Fortune 500 companies use DHL to ship internationally. Not to mention, DHL is there when you need it: We were the only country shipping in central Africa during their civil war and we’re still in Liberia despite the Ebola outbreak.

What have you learned in your role at DHL?

What I’ve learned is how important team work is to get a job done. Whether you’re sending a tank for a government contractor or helping a mom send a care package to her son overseas, there are a ton of people at work to track that package and make sure it gets where it needs to be. In sales especially, we are the front lines of DHL: we represent the brand to the customer, and we get to see the entire delivery process function flawlessly.

What is the company culture like?

There’s always something fun going on, tailgating events, tubing on the Salt River, Halloween customer contests, and no-shave November. There’s also an open-door policy: My boss’s boss, my area sales director, has his door open all the time, and feel like I can ask him anything. He’s constantly walking around the floor, making sure we’re okay, and being an active part of the sales culture. Even our VP of Sales flies in from Florida every time we have a new hire class, to get to know them. In terms of my coworkers, we work on teams of 7 to 14 people, so there’s always someone you can turn to and ask questions. It’s comforting to know, even if you have a shipment stuck in customs on Christmas Eve, you’re not alone: there’s always people on your local team and internationally to help you figure it out. 

 

Employee Name: Caitlin Clifford
Job Title: Operations Supervisor, Retail Sector, Exel
Education: University of Dayton, Civil Engineering, 2013

Growing up, Caitlin Clifford went to school down the street from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Cornell had a heavy involvement in her school’s curriculum, and Caitlin fell in love with the “nerdy” math and science projects she completed with Cornell students. When the time came for her to apply to college, she chose to study civil engineering at the University of Dayton. As it turned out, Caitlin liked the problem-solving aspect of her major the most, and decided instead of pursuing engineering, she’d take her talents to logistics at Exel. She now manages a floor of up to 60 employees, solving problems like labor planning, labor shifts, and managing a diverse group of personalities.

How did you get your start at Exel?

I first heard about DHL and Exel at my college career fair. I had a friend who worked for Exel as an operations supervisor, the position I’m in now, and she gave me the rundown of what the job was, and what it was like to be an Exel college recruit. I went to school for civil engineering, which has nothing to do with logistics, but my classes involved finding unique solutions to problems. After graduation, I realized instead of figuring out how to better design a beam to hold more weight, I wanted to be working in a more fast-paced environment. On the warehouse floor, I’m putting out fires and making on-the-fly decisions—it’s a better fit for my personality.

What does your typical day look like?

I’m a supervisor in the outbound department, supporting one of our large retail e-commerce clients, so I’m in charge of shipping ecommerce orders directly to consumers. I supervise anywhere from 40 to 60 associates on the warehouse floor, but during this peak holiday season it will spike up to 250 employees. My day revolves around shipping out Star Wars Lightsabers, Dr. Who Sonic Screwdriver toothbrushes and Big Bang Theory t-shirts. If you told me a few years ago this is what I’d be doing day-to-day, I would have thought you were joking. But it’s pretty perfect.

What was your perception of Exel before you started?

Exel doesn’t have a large awareness in the U.S., nobody really knows what they do and how massive the company is until you start working for them. We’re such a big player in the logistics sector, everyone has touched something shipped by an Exel warehouse, but it’s not the kind of company that would advertise during the Super Bowl. We’re the logistical brains behind many of the products that people use every day—from companies that include the world’s largest retail chains and consumer goods producers.

What is one thing that you'd like potential candidates to know about working at Exel?

I would not recommend it for someone who wants to sit behind a desk for eight hours a day. Some people like that, but that’s not what this job is. It involves a lot of moving parts, running around, and on-the-spot decision-making. You may be doing something, get a tap on the shoulder, and need to completely switch gears. There is definitely never a boring day!

What project are you most proud of?

I started in August of 2013, and by February I was managing my own floor. As a 23-year-old, six months into my career, it’s amazing to have that kind of trust from your employer! When I first started, associates would go to more experienced supervisors with their questions—but now they come to me, which is a huge compliment and testament to my management skills. It was also amazing to see the direct correlation between my supervisory skills and our productivity: as I learned more and became a better supervisor, our warehouse became more productive.