‘Competitive advantage lies in the supply chain'

At the age of just 30 Daniel Terbille is making an international name for himself in the freight forwarding community. Recently named the Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year (Yiffy) by the International Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Association (Fiata), Terbille is doing himself and South Africa, the country he credits for his career in freight forwarding, proud. Born and bred in the small town of Vreden in Germany, it was in South Africa that the freight forwarding bug first bit. “I have always been creative and very passionate about cars so for many years my intention was to study industrial design and enter the automotive industry. But after graduating from high school, studying business administration became my first choice. A semester of practical training led me to Cape Town where I completed an internship with a local freight forwarder. I not only fell in love with South Africa, but was also hooked by the freight forwarding industry.” The rest, as they say, is history. Terbille returned to Germany where he continued his studies in retail management, with a strong focus on logistics and supply chain management in the retail industry, before returning to Cape Town to complete his degree after an internship with Kuehne + Nagel. “I decided to settle in Cape Town after completing the internship and applied for positions with freight forwarders locally.” He joined UTi Worldwide where he is now senior key accounts manager for retail, managing major clients such as Truworths and Shoprite Checkers. It was also here where he first heard of the annual Saaff Young Freight Forwarder competition. “Companies are not competing on products any more but rather on supply chains,” said Terbille. “The competitive advantage lies in the supply chain. “I cannot see myself ever not training or studying further because that is what allows one to have the edge long-term.” As the winner, Terbille will now enjoy overseas training opportunities in 2013. He also attended the Fiata annual congress in Los Angeles where he presented his dissertation. “Taking part in this competition does require a lot of dedication and it is a lot of work, but it was worth all of it. Not only from a training point of view, but also in terms of networking. I have been in contact with people I would not otherwise have even met.” And he encourages all South African young freight forwarders to participate. “Be it for personal growth or for career advancement – or even just recognition within your own organisation – there is much to be gained from participating,” he said. CAPTION Daniel Terbille … ‘Companies are not competing on products any more.’