From the very start of his career, working in hospitality, Ken discovered his forte was ‘turning things around. When others ran away from problems, I ran towards them”. These are a few of his career highlights…
Managing the
Middle East
Ken joined DHL in 1985 and by 1992 was Regional Managing Director in the Middle East where he opened operations in Libya, Syria and Sudan.
Investing Through
a Crisis
In 1997, Ken became CFO for Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Investing heavily in new facilities and infrastructure in the region, he successfully steered the 52 countries under his financial control through the export and currency crises of the time.
THE 2000’S
Rescue in Canada
In 2004, DHL in Canada was losing €45 million p.a. Ken was asked to go in and rescue the situation. Under his leadership, by 2006 DHL Canada was €13 million in profit.
Saving the USA
By 2008, DHL in the USA was in major financial difficulties. Aiming to develop the domestic market against the power of Fedex and UPS, the business was haemorrhaging capital. Again, the Turnaround Guy was called in. As the global financial crisis loomed, Ken took the decision to withdraw from US domestic deliveries in order to focus on the core Time Definite International market. This shrewd move at the right time kept DHL afloat and within 4 years DHL in the US was turning a profit for the first time.
Becoming a
Global Leader
Ken became Global CEO of DHL Express in 2009 where he launched the “FOCUS” strategy aimed at building on the core competencies of the business. Over the following 10 years, FOCUS achieved the best results in the company’s 50 year history.
His unrelenting focus on saving the business and growing the International revenue resulted in a turnaround from a €2 billion loss in 2008 to an EBIT profit of €497 million in 2010, and breaking the €1 billion ceiling by 2012. In 2020, EBIT reached €2 billion for the first time.
THE 2010’S
Customer is King
His passion for an “Insanely Customer Centric Culture” within DHL comes from the belief that only enthusiastic, well informed, highly trained and knowledgeable employees at every level can deliver ’The Greatest International Express Service on the Planet’ everyday. Motivated People are the cornerstone of his FOCUS strategy.
Rolling Out the
World’s Greatest
Engagement Program
Ken rolled out the world’s largest training and cultural reinforcement initiative – Certified International Specialists. The essence of DHL’s ‘Insanely Customer Centric Culture’, the program is now the premier learning tool for over 500,000 DPDHL employees.
Re-Building
a Global Brand
Ken invested heavily to rebuild DHL brand awareness with strategic sponsorships and advertising. Since 2012, the DHL brand value has soared to $20.6 billion and global brand ranking improved from 98th to 62nd.
Developing
Smarter Partnerships
He then moved on to developing logistics partnerships with a series of high profile companies including Manchester United, Formula E, Rolling Stones, Chinese Super League, Andretti Motorsports, World Rugby Sevens, RWC, WTCC, The Grand Tour, Indian Soccer League, Australian Surf Life Saving along with a host of local sponsorships .
Creating More
Than a Business
Ken invested heavily to rebuild DHL brand awareness with strategic sponsorships and advertising. Since 2012, the DHL brand value has soared to $20.6 billion and global brand ranking improved from 98th to 62nd.
DHL’S Got Heart
Ken introduced the DHL’s Got Heart initiative in 2016, encouraging and awarding employees who take part in community improvement programs to create a better life for thousands of people every year all around the world. Now in its 5th year, the program has delivered more than €1.4 million to the good causes supported by the company’s employees in hundreds of countries.
Best Place to
Work in the World
In 2018, DHL was voted the 6th Best Place to Work globally by Fortune magazine. Ken said, “It is the perfect acknowledgment of our commitment to creating the conditions for the world’s most engaged employees to develop and thrive at the world’s most international company.” By 2020, DPDHL had moved up to 2nd place – pretty good for a logistics company where every day involves arduous labour, repetitive processes and one of the toughest working environments on the planet!
Radical Simplicity
In 2019, Ken set about putting his experiences and thoughts together on paper. His first published work, ‘Radical Simplicity’, became an instant hit and the go-to guide for business leaders, start-up enterprise owners and a new generation of corporate execs.
Becoming an Influencer
To develop the messages and ideas contained in ‘Radical Simplicity’, Ken filmed a series of video-casts for his rapidly growing social media channels. His no-nonsense, thought provoking broadcasts with titles including, ‘Kill King Kong While He’s a Baby’ and ‘Creating an Honest and Open Environment’ brought a tribe of new followers.
Ken Allen becomes CEO of DHL eCommerce Solutions
On the 1st of January 2020, after 10 years at the helm, Ken stepped down as Global CEO of DHL Express. And immediately tookup a new position as Global CEO of DPDHL’s pioneering e-Commerce Business Solutions Division. In many ways, this is seen as the business area that will lead DPDHL’s next advance into the digital future, and Ken’s combination of enthusiasm, experience and progressive outlook are exactly what’s needed.
Time to reflect and begin a new adventure
After a celebrated career at DPDHL Group, Ken retired from DHL to focus his time on helping other leading organisations. Nowadays he’s to be found spending his time as a strategic advisor, helping companies build their foundations, and gear up for growth.