Back to the future – forward in time Gottfried Schenker: Mr. Schweighofer, as an Austrian with roots in Switzerland, I welcome the fact that an Austrian now sits at the helm of DB Schenker in Europe. In this, the year of the company’s 150th anniversary, you are celebrating your 35th year with the company. I do hope you have already celebrated this occasion properly, with a glass of sparkling wine perhaps? Helmut Schweighofer: I place my personal anniversary at the company in second place. As for the company’s anniversary, I raised a toast to that at the European Management Convention. My anniversary is August 1st, so I won’t be celebrating my 35 years at DB Schenker until then. As a logistics specialist, I strive to function with the precision of a Swiss clock. GS: Very commendable. You did an traineeship in my company, and you went to college. I myself broke off my law studies at age 23. So, one could say that you are much better qualified than I am. HS: In life, it’s always the twist of fate that opens up paths for us. In your time, and during the spirit of optimism that characterized the Danubian monarchy, there was probably less demand for knowledge of law, but all the more for entrepreneurship and a pioneering spirit – and you simply supplied these through your personality. For me, the logistics training was a good foundation – and the university studies were important in order to be equipped for the challenges in an increasingly complex world. GS: And do you also feel yourself to be an entrepreneur? HS: I grew up in the tri-country region on Lake Constance, where you can practically inhale entrepreneurship – it’s everywhere. DB Schenker is also characterized by the fact that employees have a lot of personal responsibility. In the past two years, we have shown how strong and responsible we are in a crisis. Gottfried Schenker – Born 1842 in Däniken, Switzerland, died 1901 in Vienna, Austria. – 1872 he founded, together with Moritz Karpeles and Moritz Hirsch, the company Spedition Schenker & Co., based in Vienna. Martin Muliar – Born 1959 in Vienna, Austria. – The actor, who looks like he could be Gottfried Schenker’s twin, is playing the role of the company founder for this anniver- sary edition. Helmut Schweighofer – Born 1969 in Bregenz, Austria. – He started at DB Schenker as a trainee, studied international business management and, after working in Bregenz, London, Sofia and Vienna, became CEO of DB Schenker in Europe in 2018. 2 3 4 5 1 First things first: Who better to judge how the company is doing today than Helmut Schweighofer, CEO of DB Schenker in Europe? Gottfried Schenker caught up with him in Frankfurt Dear readers, It was 150 years ago, in Vienna, that I founded Spedition Schenker & Co. Now, I return – as a time traveler – to see what has become of my life’s work. In this issue, you will find 150 distinct and exciting bits of knowledge from within the DB Schenker universe to mark this anniversary – everything from brief facts to comprehensive explorations. Join me on a moving journey into the past, present and future of one of the world’s largest logistics companies! Most sincerely yours, Gottfried Schenker 2 3
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