Instructions

On most computers the sound will start automatically. Hence, be sure to turn up the volume on your speakers. It may take from a few seconds to a couple of minutes to load, depending on the speed of your Internet connection.

If you are unable to hear the sound over the Internet, you can download the speech as an MP3 and Windows Media-file below to play on your computer at your convenience.

Jeff Hoogesteger
Chief Executive Officer
Geodis Wilson

Download the CEO speech by Jeff Hoogesteger:

MP3-format (3 MB)
Windows Media-format (3 MB)

To download, right-click on the link, choose 'Save target as' and click on 'Save'.

Full transcript of the speech:

"Hello everybody. My name is Jeff Hoogesteger, I am the CEO of Geodis Wilson.

I am delighted to be able to use this online audio format to reach out to customers, employees, friends and all other stakeholders across the globe as we now move into 2008.

2007 was an exciting year for us here at Geodis Wilson. Geodis’ acquisition of TNT Freight Management was completed on February 5th 2007 and our main goal since then has been to achieve a successful merger between TNT Freight Management and Geodis Overseas before the end of 2007 and take our organisation to where we are today – one of the top 10 players in our industry around the world. 

I am also very proud to say that through clearly defined merger action plans and support from all people involved, we have achieved our merger objectives with unqualified success.

But the most important message I have for you today is that through all of our merger activities during this past year we have maintained a clear and purposeful focus on the overriding reason behind all of our actions and achievements which are of course our customers.

This focus has paid off now, and the synergies we have created through the merger have had a direct impact on our clients.

For example, we are able to offer an enhanced range of services. Our network is large enough to achieve more competitive procurement. And we can ensure space allocation with carriers on the busiest trade lanes across the globe.

Another example is our e-service platform which is constantly improving, and our latest IT solution called Freight Control now offers our clients a complete global overview of the entire supply chain.

Our growth also allows us to further commit to a number of vertical markets. This means that we are paying particular attention to our customers’ unique requirements in certain areas, and fine-tuning our services and offerings around their real-time needs. This clearly improves our ability to offer fully integrated freight solutions in each of these markets.

And because we are part of the Geodis Group, all of our customers have in-house access to all of the services offered by the Geodis Group, including Groupage/Express, Logistic and Full Truck Load services across Europe.

Best of all for our customers around the world, we have filled in some key white spots in our network and can now offer a truly global coverage.

In that regard, another exciting announcement was made on 28 September – the acquisition of Rohde & Liesenfeld (R&L).

The German-based international transport logistics company has been Geodis’ main freight forwarding partner since 2002. The partnership has been extremely positive and we anticipate that our very close working relationship will translate into a smooth and successful integration during the first half of 2008.

The complementary addition to our group expands our presence in many of today’s key markets, such as Germany, Latin America, South Africa, Australia and the Arabian Gulf. It also enhances our already strong Industrial Projects offer. Furthermore, the acquisition of R&L clearly demonstrates the strategy of the Geodis Group, to make continuous investments to further strengthen our network.

So that’s what has been happening at Geodis Wilson during the past year.

I invite you keep up with the latest developments online by reading our quarterly electronic newsletter, e-Network News, where we present real-life customer examples of how we have put our innovative freight solutions to work to improve our customers’ supply chain.

Geodis Wilson now has offices in over 50 countries, with more than 5500 employees across the globe. I travel frequently throughout our network, and I can assure you that our dedicated teams around the world are cooperating like never before to provide excellence in customer service and satisfaction.

We are moving forward with confidence in our abilities and passion for what we do, and together with you we are all looking forward to a great 2008.

I wish you all a very prosperous and happy New Year!"