DPD UK CEO Elaine Kerr wins coveted award

A year in to her role as DPD UK CEO, Elaine Kerr has been awarded "UK Leading Logistics Firm Executive of the Year 2022" by CEO Today Magazine.

Each year, CEO Today, recognises business leaders across every industry sector in the UK. Awards are given to the most successful, forward-thinking and innovative CEOs in business today.

From Customer Relationship Manager to Chief Executive

A tremendous career with DPD began 29 years ago, when Elaine joined the company as a sales executive.

And from a sales executive based in the North West, Elaine moved up to Head of CRM.

By 2008, Elaine had reached the DPD UK senior management team before becoming Executive director Sales, CRM and Customer Services in 2020.

All the way through this success story, Elaine has been key to the continued growth of DPD UK.

Customer experience key to success as CEO

Elaine cites her customer experience as one of the most important lessons learned throughout her DPD success story. As customer relationship manager and head of CRM, she was able to build up a rounded overview of the whole business. This, she says, helped her to understand the opportunities and challenges.

Following her award from CEO Today, which recognised her career with DPD, Elaine says in an interview with the magazine that becoming CEO has given her the opportunity to talk with a far wider range of people. She says: "More than anything, I'm keen for a wider variety of voices to be heard."

Elaine also pays tribute to her UK senior management team and their collective customer service experience, saying that since becoming CEO: "I've certainly appreciated how important the DPD UK senior management team is.

"We have more than 20,000 people, a huge fleet on the road every day, significant nationwide real estate and we're a seven days per week operation. My job now is to ensure continued growth by working with this team."

Teamwork and challenges for the future

Becoming CEO at such a critical time - half way through the pandemic, dealing with the changes wrought by Brexit - saw Elaine dealing with unprecedented challenges.

She says: "We went through the equivalent of three years growth at the start of the pandemic, almost overnight... Similarly, Brexit is still an issue as most of our international traffic is to and from the EU. I think everyone found last year tough going, but we are seeing things improve. Now, we need to focus on rebuilding that traffic."

DPD UK continues to focus on innovative change around sustainability. For the future, Elaine plans to build on DPD's customer services and becoming the UK's most sustainable delivery company.

When asked what the award means Elaine comments "I think it represents recognition for the whole team.

"Part of my role is to make sure that this kind of recognition continues to be earned, and that our customers love what we do."