DHL Supply Chain Strengthens Leadership with Key Executive Appointments to Advance Customer-Centric Strategy
DHL Supply Chain, the global leader in contract logistics and part of Deutsche Post DHL Group, has announced significant leadership appointments designed to reinforce its customer-focused strategy and ensure long-term, sustainable growth in an evolving global logistics environment. The company has emphasized that these changes are part of a broader commitment to placing customers at the heart of its decision-making, leveraging both global expertise and local market understanding to deliver resilient, innovative, and sustainable supply chain solutions.
At the center of these announcements is the appointment of Andries Retief as Chief Development Officer (CDO), reporting directly to Hendrik Venter, CEO of DHL Supply Chain. Retief, who brings more than 15 years of international leadership experience across Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and Asia, is recognized for his ability to drive strategic growth initiatives, create customer-centric solutions, and forge long-term partnerships with clients and stakeholders.
In his new global role, Retief will focus on developing next-generation supply chain solutions that respond to the rapidly shifting needs of customers across industries. This includes enhancing digital transformation, driving sustainability initiatives, and embedding customer feedback directly into DHL Supply Chain’s strategy. A core part of his responsibility will be close collaboration with the company’s international customer leadership network, ensuring that customer requirements are consistently reflected in global strategy while also being tailored to the unique dynamics of regional markets.
Strengthening Customer Leadership in Europe and MEA
In addition to Retief’s appointment, DHL Supply Chain has expanded its leadership structure in Europe and the Middle East & Africa (MEA) to ensure customer success remains a central priority.
- Marco Brüggemann has been named Chief Customer Officer (CCO) for Europe.
- Bremer Pauw has been appointed Chief Customer Officer for Middle East & Africa, while continuing his role as Managing Director, DHL Supply Chain Africa.
Both executives bring a wealth of experience within the organization and a proven track record of customer-centric leadership.
Brüggemann, who has been with DHL since 2002, has built a career spanning more than two decades across Latin America and Europe. His most recent focus has been in Germany and the Alps region, where he spearheaded customer supply chain transformations in the e-commerce sector. Under his leadership, DHL’s e-commerce customers were able to expand omni-channel operations at speed, adapting to surging consumer expectations and rapidly evolving retail landscapes. His appointment reflects the growing importance of e-commerce in shaping Europe’s supply chain demands, and his leadership is expected to further strengthen DHL’s customer partnerships across the region.
Meanwhile, Pauw brings extensive regional expertise and leadership acumen to his new dual role. Based in Dubai, UAE, he will continue overseeing operations as Managing Director for Africa while also serving as Chief Customer Officer for MEA. Pauw has consistently demonstrated the ability to build high-performing teams and deliver tailored logistics solutions across Africa’s diverse and often complex markets. His approach to fostering local expertise while aligning with global strategy makes him well suited to oversee the MEA region, which continues to grow as a strategic hub for global trade and logistics.
In his new role, Pauw will drive the commercial strategy and customer development agenda across the Middle East and Africa, ensuring that customers in these dynamic markets receive solutions that balance resilience, efficiency, and adaptability.
A Unified Global Customer Leadership Network
Both Brüggemann and Pauw will collaborate closely with Retief and their counterparts across Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, and the UK & Ireland. Together, this strengthened leadership team forms part of DHL Supply Chain’s global customer leadership network, a structure designed to deliver seamless, consistent, and high-quality service to customers regardless of geography.
This network ensures that customers not only benefit from DHL’s vast global reach and integrated logistics capabilities but also from localized expertise that can navigate regional market dynamics. Whether adapting to regulatory requirements, supply disruptions, or consumer demand shifts, DHL’s strengthened leadership team is positioned to provide customers with supply chains that are not only reliable but also resilient and sustainable.
CEO Perspective on Strategic Appointments
Commenting on these changes, Hendrik Venter, CEO of DHL Supply Chain, emphasized the importance of strengthening customer leadership at both global and regional levels.
“These appointments further strengthen our global customer leadership team and focus on excellence in customer experience,” Venter said. “Andries’s extensive background in driving growth initiatives and cultivating strategic partnerships will be instrumental in fostering a culture of customer-centricity across the organization. By connecting our global customer leadership network and our integrated global logistics network, we ensure customers benefit from both global reach and deep local expertise—helping them navigate today’s challenges and prepare for tomorrow’s opportunities.”
Venter highlighted that the logistics industry is facing an era of unprecedented transformation, driven by digitalization, sustainability demands, and increasingly complex global trade flows. For customers, having a partner like DHL Supply Chain means access to both innovative solutions and a reliable network that can adapt quickly to shifting conditions.
Responding to a Changing Logistics Landscape
The appointments come at a critical time when global supply chains are under pressure to become more resilient, transparent, and sustainable. From the rise of e-commerce to the growing importance of nearshoring and regionalization strategies, customers are demanding solutions that not only deliver efficiency but also minimize risks and reduce environmental impact.
Under Retief’s leadership as CDO, DHL Supply Chain will continue investing in innovation, digital tools, and green logistics. This includes advancing solutions such as automation in warehouses, AI-driven demand forecasting, and carbon-neutral supply chain practices. With Brüggemann and Pauw bringing their customer-focused leadership in Europe and MEA, DHL aims to ensure that these innovations are not just developed centrally but also delivered in ways that meet the specific needs of customers in different regions.
Reinforcing DHL Supply Chain’s Market Position
As the world’s leading contract logistics provider, DHL Supply Chain operates in over 50 countries, with a workforce of more than 160,000 employees. Its focus on sector-specific expertise—ranging from retail and e-commerce to automotive, life sciences, and technology—enables it to offer highly customized solutions.
The latest leadership appointments reinforce DHL’s ambition to remain not only the largest but also the most trusted partner for businesses navigating complex supply chain challenges. By prioritizing customer engagement, investing in people, and aligning global strategy with local execution, DHL Supply Chain continues to strengthen its competitive position in the global logistics industry.
The combination of Retief’s global mandate and the regional leadership of Brüggemann and Pauw represents a decisive step in DHL Supply Chain’s journey toward deeper customer centricity. As supply chains evolve in response to technological disruption, regulatory changes, and shifting consumer behaviors, DHL Supply Chain is signaling its readiness to stay ahead of the curve by empowering leaders who understand the intricacies of customer needs at every level.
With these appointments, DHL Supply Chain has made clear its commitment to not only delivering goods efficiently but also building enduring partnerships with its customers. By fostering collaboration across its global network while maintaining strong local execution, DHL is ensuring that it remains a trusted partner capable of guiding businesses through today’s uncertainties and tomorrow’s opportunities.