Case Study
This case study relates to the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the global logistics firm TNT Express.

Copy of a Press Release statement: 25 February 2013 07:30 CET -
Amsterdam, the Netherlands – The Supervisory Board of TNT Express has today announced the appointment of Tex Gunning as CEO.

"Tex’s extensive business experience and track record in successfully turning around businesses and delivering results make him the ideal candidate in this critical time for the company," said Antony Burgmans, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. "He is also an inspiring leader and we look forward to Tex stepping into his new role and helping the company realise its improvement plans. Tex Gunning said: "I am honoured to be part of TNT Express and look forward to leading the company with others and, with support from the extended management team."

The Business Courier Market
The global business courier market is dominated by several large organisations, these include the often familiar names such as FedEx, DHL, TNT and UPS. All of whom operate across the globe and offer express delivery services primarily to business customers. On a national level many of these organisations will compete against the home country mail providers (e.g. Royal Mail in the UK, or Hong Kong Post in HK) and many smaller nationally based organisations (e.g. City Link in the UK) and the several thousand freelance, self-employed independent courier delivery services. Unless particularly specialised courier services (such as refrigerated) much of this competition is based on quality of service to the customer, being reliable and on time, price is also an important factor. Where economies of scale can be achieved this can have a significant impact upon business success.

TNT Origins and Activity
Ken Thomas founded TNT in Australia in 1946 with a single truck. It became Thomas Nationwide Transport (TNT) in 1958 and TNT Express Services UK in 1978. Today TNT is a global company and serves customers in over 200 countries around the world, employing 10,000 people in the UK.

Within Europe TNT Express is the market leader in the provision of business-to-business (B2B) express delivery services. In Europe, TNT Express operates a broad road network connecting all 38 European countries through 16 road hubs daily, with an additional leg to Morocco. Express European Air Network connects 65 destinations through a fleet of 50 aircraft, including four Boeing 747 freighters. In 2010, TNT Airways managed to obtain special traffic rights for flights to Moscow providing a superior service to Russia. The Moscow connection allows for a fast integrated service with superior cut-off times, which is especially attractive to the life sciences sector.

Further strengthening TNT's position in Europe in 2011 was the development of a strategic alliance with Adrexo Colis, the French B2C standard parcels company, where TNT took a 50% stake in the French organisation. This gave TNT access to major B2C markets across central Europe. So with the alliance with Adrexo Colis TNT were not only able to deliver to business addresses they were also able to deliver parcels to customers homes.

In the Middle East, TNT Express operates an intra-regional road network (using lorries, trucks and vans) in addition to its air-based services. Given Africa’s fast growing population and demand for transportation services, as well as strong growth in trade and capital flows with China and India, TNT Express plans to continue to strengthen and expand its domestic position and increase its international and intercontinental connectivity. In Africa, TNT Express has fully owned operations in a few key countries and serves most of the continent through partnerships and agents.

The express market in the Asia-Pacific region was estimated at €9 billion in 2009 (excluding Japan) and is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. TNT Hong Kong office was established in 1978 and currently has seven operation sites including head office at Millennium City, Kwun Tong, two depots, a rapid response spare part service centre, a distribution centre, an Asia-Pacific regional fashion logistics hub and its Hong Kong Regional Hub at Hong Kong International Airport. Given Hong Kong’s geographic and economic connections to Southeast Asia and South China, TNT Hong Kong plays an important role in the company’s pioneering integrated air and road network in Asia, in addition to offering a full range of international and cross-border express services for parcels, documents and freights.

TNT customers are increasingly seeking a more varied express product and service offering. TNT Express is expanding to a larger addressable market, which includes the parcel market not normally classified as express (standard parcels), business-to-consumers (B2C) and intercontinental shipments. TNT Express estimated the size of this addressable market in Europe at around €38 billion in 2009.

TNT Express was due to merge with rival express couriers UPS in Europe recently but this $6.7 Billion move was blocked by the European Commission in January 2013 as it was felt that the resulting organisation would have too much market share and thus would no longer allow for fair competition in the sector. This decision, when made public, saw the TNT share price drop by 42%.

TNT Values
As a global company, TNT seeks to project a consistent image across the world. For example, it uses the global strapline ‘Sure we can’ on all its vehicles, aircraft and communications material. TNT’s values underpin the way the organisation runs. These values are the core principles or standards that guide the way TNT does business. While business plans and strategies may change, the core values of a business remain the same.

TNT’s values are:
• Be honest
• Aim to satisfy customers every time
• Challenge and improve all we do
• Be passionate about our people
• Act as a team
• Measure success through sustainable profit
• Work for the world.

TNT Customer Focus
Every aspect of TNT’s business strategy focuses on ‘delivering a superior customer experience. For example, TNT uses sophisticated technology to enable customers to check exactly where their deliveries are at any time. TNT Express UK delivers over 3.5 million items every week around the world. It is listed among Britain’s Top Employers and provides first-class working conditions and care of its employees. The company needs high-level skills to cover a wide range of functions, including distribution, sales and marketing, finance, customer services and HR. To attract and retain the best people TNT offers interesting careers, with opportunities for people to progress.

TNT is the fastest and most reliable provider of express delivery services and is the European market leader.

TNT’s mission is to:
• ‘Exceed customers’ expectations in the transfer of their goods and documents around the world,
• Deliver value to our customers by providing the most reliable and efficient solutions through delivery networks,
• Seek to lead the industry by instilling pride in our people, creating value for our stakeholders and sharing responsibility around the world.’

TNT’s Strategy puts the customer at the heart of everything that the business does. It communicates to everyone involved with the business how the company will meet its goals. TNT’s practical measures of strategic performance are set out under three main headings - Operational Excellence, Customer Relationship Management and Innovation.

TNT segments its customers according to their requirements. For example, some customers provide the company with ‘one off requests’. Others are major accounts regularly placing large orders. TNT responds to the needs of each of these customer groups in different ways and hopes for loyalty in return. The market is highly competitive and it is more cost-effective to keep repeat business than to generate new customers. TNT monitors customer satisfaction through regular Customer Loyalty Measurements. TNT’s Customer Promise is part of its key strategy to retain customer by delivering a superior customer experience. In practical terms, meeting customer requirements involves delivering to the right place, at the right time. TNT Express often carries many different types of goods for which on-time delivery is vital. This ranges from delivering blood supplies for the NHS to freshly-felled fir trees for Christmas.

TNT Responsibility and Sustainability
TNT is committed to minimising the environmental effects of its operations and conducting its business in a sustainable way. For example, it recognised the value the business could gain from making drivers more aware of methods of driving which would improve safety and efficiency. Drivers are therefore trained in SAFED (safe and fuel-efficient driving) techniques, earning certificates of competence.

TNT recognises that its people are the foundation on which it builds its customer-focused strategy. It needs to have the right people and skills to deliver the promises it makes. The business is committed to staff development. It promotes around 70% of its managers from within the organisation, enabling people to have long-term careers. Nearly 500 staff have at least 25 years’ service each. All managers possess a great knowledge of the way TNT works and with training can pass on that knowledge to make new workers more effective, more quickly.

Mark Ellis
4th July 2013

This case study was written using publicly available sources only.

Further information and reports are available on the TNT website here: http://www.tnt.com/corporate/en/site/home/investors/reports.html