An Interview with Damien Sheehan
Head of Global MNC (Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa)
DHL International
Location: Dubai, UAE
Graduated from HSE EE in 2006
Tell us more about your role in DHL International.
My current role with DHL Express is Head of Global MNC, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa based out of our regional office (Centre of Excellence) in Dubai. I am part of a global CRM team that focuses on a select group of 100+ global customers that are industry aligned by segmentation. This is a global program that was launched January 1st 2008 and to date has been a success based on the feedback from our largest customers and not to mention the growth that we have seen within this customer group. As the major multinational companies move more towards regional and global decision making, the sole purpose of our team is to work alongside this customer group as partners to support them with their transition and/or if their structure is mature to consult with them to look for efficiencies in process, lead times, logistics solutions and of course cost to name a few. The success of any global CRM program is largely dependant upon communication and visibility both internally and externally along with a solid value proposition. These few things alone differentiate us from the competition and as the market conditions stabilize in the coming year I am excited about what lies ahead.
What is my motivation as a manager?
As a manager in EEMEA, I am motivated by the challenge of growing a business that is diverse on many fronts across 87 countries, with more than a dozen time zones, a wide range of cultures and not to mention the variances in the maturity of markets such as the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT), Commonwealth of Independent States and South Eastern Europe (CISSEE) and Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). My recent roles with DHL Express in the U.S.A and in Asia Pacific were green-fields roles within our organization and although the challenges are greater due to having no blue print to follow, the self satisfaction I feel are greater when you start with an idea and turn it into a viable long term business.
What have you gained from the HSE EE program that has made a difference to how you strategize, act and lead?
I commenced the HSE EE Program while I was located in Singapore. With a hectic work schedule and travel commitments it was not often that I took time out to detach myself from my role and the monthly study schedule over a three day weekend was a perfect opportunity to do that and to listen to subject matter experts (professors) as well as engage in discussions with fellow students on how they approached similar matters and challenges in their own organizations. ‘Business Communication’, ‘Cross Cultural Management’ and ‘Customer Relationship Management’ were three modules that allowed immediate application to my existing role in Asia Pac and following that in the U.S. and now EEMEA. In each of these three markets the application of the learning’s has warranted a different approach but with the same underlying fundamentals which has been beneficial.
What do you have to share with anyone who wants to do business in the Middle East?
A difficult question as this answer is not always obvious as it does depend a bit on the industry and the country in which you do business. However at the end of the day, customers come first and relationships are key along with a strong service / product proposition. In some markets globally, conducting business via phone, internet and email can be done quite successfully and even here this can be the case, however nothing can replace face to face discussions and repeating this on a regular basis until trust and credibility is built. Language and / or cultural barriers are far easier to overcome in person where the meeting and interaction can be personal.
I would also say do your homework. Regulations and crossing borders with products across the Middle East is not the same as crossing borders in EU or Nth America and can be a minefield in terms of regulatory tape and additional costs if not careful. You never get a second chance to make a first impression and testing the processes before making commitments to customers to ‘iron’ out any potential issues will bode well for the future relationship.
While hydrocarbon prices were at the levels they were during 2008, it could be said that there was a lot of artificial inflation across the Middle East and I believe that the recent correction (although painful) will be good for those that get through it and that a more fundamental and realistic approach to doing business will result.
What's the future for you like?
You better ask my boss that! In these uncertain times I think it is fair to say that every body has questioned whether or not their current role is safe as organizations look to meet EBIT numbers through reducing costs while top line growth has stalled. The immediate future looks okay but I am also a believer that you are only as good as your last sale.