Tag: Germany

DHL logistics boss John Allan is learning German, but he relied on old Scottish to sum up the E 220m (USD271m) of savings his team will extract from the billion euro turnover business by spring 2007: ‘Many a mickle makes a muckle’ or every little bit helps. Mr Allan stresses that his three hours a week battle with German grammar is fulfilling a lifelong desire, and is not a Deutsche Post head office edict from the parent company in Cologne: ‘Deutsche Post is an international company and the working language is English. It is a case of wanting to learn German, rather than needing to.’ It was in September last year when Germany’s letters to logistics kraken Deutsche Post confirmed the City rumour-mill by offering GBP3.7bn (USD6.7bn) to acquire UK-based supply chain and forwarding giant Exel, with the latter’s chief executive chosen to head the new division and to lead the integration. ‘I was asked to stay on,’ says Mr Allan, who states that his presence gives ‘continuity’ to the integration process, just as it did when his Ocean Group merged with the ‘old’ Exel in 2000 to create what was then the largest UK-headquartered global logistics player.