LEADERSHIP
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It ’ s a really exciting time to be working in logistics ,” says Richard Cawston , XPO ’ s Managing Director , Supply Chain Europe , during a wide-ranging 45-minute interview that he squeezes into one of his regular whistlestop tours of the continent he oversees .
Cawston is a man who can make such an assertion with some authority , having originally joined the business some 15 years ago . Since then , he has risen through the ranks of XPO ’ s European operations , taking over his current role 12 months ago , having previously held the position of Managing Director for UK & Ireland for the previous couple of years .
XPO is a company that is making waves in the logistics space , and by Cawston ’ s own admission , a business that is doing “ extremely well ”, adding that accepting the new role was “ a real delight ”.
Reflecting on his first 12 months in the job , Cawston says : “ One definite observation is just how incredibly fast-paced everything is , both in terms of the business and the economy as a whole . So we have to ensure we have the right resources , are in the right locations and have the right offering for our customers . We ’ re working incredibly hard to build our European business and accommodate what has been rapid growth . There ’ s never a dull day , put it that way .”
One of the reasons XPO seems to be driving
“ The new East Midlands centre will operate as both a think tank and a launch pad for XPO innovations , with far-reaching impacts on the way business is done ”
— Richard Cawston , XPO ’ s Managing Director , Supply Chain Europe
SEPTEMBER 2018