PAKi boss focusses on transparency, understanding and cooperation

Load carriers such as Euro pallets and pallet cages are indispensable for the worldwide transport of goods. Open pooling service provider PAKi Logistics ensures that pallets and boxes can be exchanged efficiently with thousands of pick-up and drop-off stations throughout Europe so that they can be used again as quickly as possible. Anne Kramer-Münch took over as CEO of the Ennepetal-based company in April, whose customers include all players along the supply chain, from transport companies to shippers, manufacturers and retailers.

"Before I joined PAKi, I didn't really have anything to do with pallets. At least not since my dissertation, which I wrote at Henkel on a subject that also related to pallets", says the new CEO, who studied business administration in Cologne, specialising in logistics. "The common thread in my professional life has always been the value chain approach – whether in logistics in marketing and sales at Mars, at Schwarzkopf & Henkel in category management or marketing or at Nestlé in classic sales in various commercial roles."

At Nestlé Purina, Anne Kramer-Münch managed the pet food business in Austria – "a manageably sized portfolio, but an exciting field and an emotional target group" – before taking on the position of Head of Channel & Category Sales Development for the internal sales director at Nestlé subsidiary Maggi.

"I originally come from Bergisch Gladbach and always wanted to return to the Rhineland. That's how I ended up at Tomra Systems in Langenfeld. The key topic here was sustainability, which is also important to me personally." Anne Kramer-Münch held the position of Commercial Vice President for Germany at Tomra for five years before the opportunity arose to move to PAKi. "I didn't really have any experience with pallets. However, I was attracted by the fact that PAKi is a family business that places great importance on sustainability. I want to help shape this topic and I can do that here. In addition, my predecessor has already laid excellent foundations for various topics, such as the realisation of a new office building that focuses on new work."

PAKi Logistics GmbH was founded in 1974 by a group of logistics experts who recognised the potential of exchangeable load carriers. Today, the international company with headquarters in Ennepetal and locations in Verona, Toulouse and Warsaw has around 250 employees. "I naturally had a lot of questions in the first few weeks, because PAKi's business model is complex. From day one, I was well received by a very competent team. Many of our colleagues have been with us for a long time and know their way around. And the values 'care, dare and deliver' that we communicate to the outside world are actually practised in the company."

Three points are particularly important to the new CEO: more transparency in order to enter into a dialogue with employees, mutual and shared understanding and good cooperation. "I always have the image of a sailing ship in my mind's eye, on which there are very different tasks, but where you have to work well together so that everything runs smoothly."

Through its open pooling with exchangeable load carriers, PAKi aims to optimise logistics processes and thus enable green logistics along the entire supply chain. "With our work, we want to create values where sustainability is relevant. We have to ask ourselves how our actions can be measured by our customers and what our open pooling system brings them. Our customers are also affected by future regulations such as the PPWR, for example. However, we also want to reach other target groups and ensure greater clarity in their value chain. That's why this triad of transparency, understanding and cooperation is the basis for a good journey."

Since 2012, PAKi Logistics has been part of the Dutch Faber Group, which is also headed by a woman. However, this was not the deciding factor for her, says Anne Kramer-Münch. "Whether you do a good job in a management position depends on your personality and has nothing to do with your gender. It's more about the question of how to approach people without judging them. The important thing is what you can do in a position."

And what challenges does she see after her first few months as head of PAKi? "I want to contribute and implement my own ideas here at the company and inspire people, because I've had some great bosses along the way who have inspired me."