The trained forwarding agent has been firmly anchored in logistics for almost 20 years. Melanie Piechotka (41) has worked in various sectors - from sea freight, forwarding, general cargo to contract logistics. She has been responsible for the general cargo site in Großbeeren for six months now and is looking forward to driving forward the centrepiece of the forwarding company.
How was your start at Rieck?
Simply overwhelming: planned down to the smallest detail and already with over 450 emails. Thanks to the active support of all employees, I quickly familiarised myself with the company.
Which projects have priority now?
There's a lot on the agenda: our new IT system, which is due to go live next year at the Rostock site and then in Großbeeren, is a top priority for us. We are putting a lot of effort into digital processes in order to work even more efficiently. With regard to the shortage of skilled labour, we are trying to create the capacity for our many experts, some of whom have been with us for many years, to be able to master future challenges together. À propos together: our Fit For Future programme aims, among other things, to involve employees in processes, projects, strategy and vision. The programme also includes operational processes in the warehouse and office as well as the topic of business intelligence.
What is particularly important to you as a manager?
Trust and closeness. Many great employees work here, some of whom have been here for decades, and I have complete trust in their expertise. In return, I hope that employees will trust me to offer them the best possible conditions for their tasks. This requires proximity that enables open and honest communication. For me, this also means being present and accessible. That's why I make my rounds through offices and warehouses once a day to see all employees briefly and have a chat. My office door is also usually open.
How do you practise communication?
That's the be-all and end-all in my world. I always try to express myself clearly and authoritatively and am happy when the other person is just as open and honest. Guessing, reading between the lines or sarcasm is not my thing.
What are your next goals?
We want to grow - each of us individually and all of us together. We want to retain our customers in the long term through outstanding service, flexibility, pragmatism and reflection. In Großbeeren, general cargo has always been our core business, for which we have a large fleet of vehicles. I think that we can use our resources to diversify our portfolio even further - particularly in the pharmaceutical and automotive sectors, but also in the trade fair and event sector.
And finally...
...I would like to thank you for the great welcome into the team. In the short time I've been here, I've been able to get to know so many interesting people and I'm already looking forward to learning and growing together with them in the coming months and years.
