Monday, 29 July, 2013

Frank Courtney, Barloworld Logistics Chief Executive for the EMEA region, recently highlighted new trends in the global logistics and supply chain industry to students of the MSc in Logistics at the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD).Courtney’s presentation, which covered a comprehensive overview of the various elements of supply chain and logistics, was made during a guest lecture held at the university, attended by more than 40 students and faculty members.The presentation began by tracing Barloworld’s 112 year history and sustained growth over the years, and its current focus on ‘smart supply chain’. Courtney pointed out that Barloworld has been committed to establishing smart partnerships and holistically understanding the supply chain needs of its clients before creating customised solutions to address these requirements. The underlining goal is to drive productivity, profitability and performance of clients on a sustained basis.A key element of the presentation was the importance of innovation in supply chain. Courtney shared that in the current trade and business landscape, entrepreneurship and collaboration were the two key drivers of innovation.During the lecture, Courtney also announced the September launch of Barloworld Logistics’ much anticipated GCC supplychainforesight survey 2013. The aim of supplychainforesight surveys is to help countries, companies and individuals to keep abreast with and adapt to the changing dynamics and demands of today’s global market place and to embrace the reality that continuous innovation is vital to achieving sustainable competitive advantage. This GCC logistics study is aimed at understanding what the leaders of logistics in the Middle East are focusing on and what they believe are the challenges and opportunities for their businesses. This is the first time that such a study is being carried out in this region.Dr Balan Sundarakani, Associate Professor and Program Director (Msc Logistics), Faculty of Business and Management, UOWD, said, “We thank Frank Courtney for sharing his valuable experience and insights with our students. His extremely informative and interesting presentation gave our students a totally new perspective of the logistics and supply chain sectors, which they would not have found in any text books or study materials. We believe that such lectures from industry experts that we regularly organise will go a long way in helping our students get a comprehensive, well-rounded understanding of the rapidly evolving logistics domain.”Courtney concluded his presentation by pointing out how a fast growing global population and factors such as draining natural resources and climate change could impact future generations, and the massive impact that will have on supply chains of the future. Supply Chains will have to be more agile and responsive than ever before.In the Media:Barloworld Logistics CEO shares valuable insights on supply chain management with UOWD students - Emirates WeekBarloworld Logistics CEO shares valuable insights on supply chain management with UOWD students - Dubai City InfoBarloworld Logistics CEO shares valuable insights on supply chain management with UOWD students - Company News in EgyptBarloworld Logistics CEO shares insights on supply chain management - Trade and Export Middle EastBarloworld Logistics CEO shares insights with students - Arabian Supply ChainRelated Program:Master of Science (Logistics)