Over three decades in air cargo, I worked in Frankfurt, Johannesburg, Luxembourg, Doha, London, and Milan. Each place taught me something different about leadership, and about myself.

The industry attracts a particular type of person. Cargo people tend to be practical, direct, and uninterested in status for its own sake. But how that practicality expresses itself varies enormously depending on where you are.

Germany: process and precision

I started at Lufthansa Cargo in Frankfurt. The culture there was methodical. Every process had documentation. Every deviation required justification. Meetings ran on time and stayed on agenda.

For a young professional, this was excellent training. It built habits of rigour that served me well throughout my career. When you learn to think in systems, you can adapt those systems to any environment.

But German process culture also has limitations. It can slow decision-making when speed matters. And it can create resistance to ideas that come from outside the established framework.

Southern Africa: relationships first

In 1993, I moved to Johannesburg to run cargo sales and services for Southern Africa. The contrast was immediate.

In South Africa, business relationships operate on a different basis. Trust is built through time and personal connection, not through process compliance. People wanted to know who you were before they wanted to know what you could do for them.

I learned quickly that the German instinct to lead with data and process would not work in Johannesburg. The data still mattered, but it came second. First, you built the relationship. Then you could have the business conversation.

This was not less rigorous. It was rigorous in a different dimension.

Luxembourg: small country, global reach

Joining Cargolux in 1998 meant adapting again. Luxembourg is a country of 600,000 people, but its cargo airline operates globally. The culture reflects that duality.

Luxembourgers are multilingual by necessity. Most people I worked with spoke four or five languages fluently. This creates a mindset that is naturally international. Ideas from anywhere are welcome if they work.

But small countries also have small networks. Everyone knows everyone. Reputation matters more than it would in a larger market. If you make a commitment, you must keep it, because you will see the same people again.

Leading Cargolux meant balancing Luxembourg’s local culture with the demands of a global operation. The board expected transparency and conservative financial management. The customers expected world-class service regardless of the airline’s size.

The Middle East: ambition and pace

Qatar Airways Cargo was a different challenge entirely. When I arrived in 2012, the airline was ambitious but still building its cargo capabilities. Over the following years, we grew it into one of the world’s top three cargo carriers.

The pace in Doha was extraordinary. Decisions that would take months in Europe could happen in days. Capital was available for the right projects. The expectation was results, delivered quickly.

This environment suits people who thrive under pressure. But it also requires discipline. When everything moves fast, it is easy to make commitments you cannot keep. I found that the habits built in Germany, the relationship skills learned in Africa, and the multilingual flexibility of Luxembourg all came together in Doha.

What I would do differently

If I were starting again, I would be more ruthless about focus. Every organisation accumulates activities that do not directly support the core business. They persist because removing them is uncomfortable, not because they add value.

I would also be clearer earlier about who wants to be on the journey and who does not. Building a team that shares your direction is more important than individual talent. People who are not committed to the path will slow everyone else down.

The common thread

Despite the differences, one thing was consistent everywhere I worked. Cargo people solve problems. They do not complain about why something is difficult. They figure out how to make it work.

That practical mindset is the real culture of the air cargo industry, regardless of geography.