Big moves are happening at DHL Supply Chain. The company just announced new executive appointments designed to sharpen its customer-first strategy and accelerate growth worldwide, as part of its Strategy 2030 vision.
Andries Retief steps in as Chief Development Officer (CDO), leading next-generation supply chain solutions and ensuring customer needs are embedded into strategy.
Marco Brüggemann becomes Chief Customer Officer (Europe), bringing deep experience in e-commerce transformation.
Bremer Pauw takes on Chief Customer Officer (Middle East & Africa), building on his record of leading high-performing, customer-focused teams.
These shifts are more than just titles. They reflect a clear message: in today’s world, customer-centricity isn’t a department — it’s the business model.
Why This Matters for Customer Success
The logistics industry isn’t the only one under pressure to evolve. Every B2B company is being judged on its ability to anticipate customer needs, deliver consistent value, and respond quickly to change.
DHL’s decision to expand its customer leadership network shows that:
Customer-first leadership scales globally. DHL isn’t leaving customer focus to chance. They’re embedding it into executive accountability at both global and regional levels. For CS leaders, the lesson is simple: if it’s not on the leadership agenda, it won’t scale. That’s the same principle we cover in our CS Leadership Strategies guide.
Local context matters. By appointing regional CCOs, DHL ensures customer experience feels tailored — not generic. For SaaS and CS teams, that means aligning success strategies with customer realities, not just rolling out one-size-fits-all playbooks. You can see this in action in our Customer Success Fundamentals, which stresses adapting frameworks to customer context.
Customer success drives growth. DHL is linking its growth plans directly to how well it serves and retains customers. This mirrors what we’ve been saying for years: CS isn’t cost center work — it’s revenue architecture. For a deeper dive, read how leaders are doing it in CS Revenue Strategy: Transform Teams Without Burnout.
If you want to see how other enterprises are reshaping their leadership structures around customer value, check out our breakdown of Sky’s Chief Customer Officer appointment and Smartsheet’s new CCO announcement.
What You Can Take Away
For readers of The CS Café, here’s how you can apply DHL’s playbook in your own roles:
Push for executive sponsorship. Make sure CS has a voice at the leadership table, not buried two levels down. See how other leaders made the leap in Customer Success Director Promotion Strategies.
Balance global consistency with local nuance. If you lead a global book of business, build frameworks that allow for regional flexibility. Our guide on US vs EMEA CS Strategies breaks this down with real-world examples.
Frame CS as growth, not support. Tie every success initiative to measurable business impact: renewals, expansions, advocacy. If you need a system, check out the Customer Success Lifecycle Automation Playbook.
When a global giant like DHL re-engineers its leadership structure around customers, it signals where the market is heading. CS leaders who embrace this shift early will protect revenue and earn boardroom-level influence.
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—Hakan, Founder | The Weekly customer Success Café Newsletter