Cargo Champion – Enno Osinga
12 / 11 / 2012
ENNO OSINGA loves to play golf but that does not mean he is a soft corporate man – as the stereotype goes.
In fact colleagues recall eccentric yet productive meetings not just on the fairway but also in a Bedouin tent in the middle of a sandstorm.
While Osinga says he may not be able to improve his swing (he plays off a handicap of 15) he refuses to accept the status quo in air cargo management.
Completing his formal business education at Bradford College, UK, after a spell of national service with the Dutch marines, Osinga is now an air cargo evangelist.
At that time Bradford was one of only a handful of establishments in Europe offering business administration and the young Osinga was determined to have an international business career and qualification opened a number of career avenues.
After graduating Osinga’s aviation career kicked off with 20 years at KLM, in posts which mixed passenger and cargo elements, before joining DHL Express as managing director of the Netherlands.
In these roles he developed his focus on forward thinking from his army days and persistence from his days as a rower for Bradford.
He now sits on the TIACA board and is senior vice president of cargo at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
“I was chosen to be senior vice president of cargo at Schiphol because they wanted someone with a broad background in aviation and they wanted to show that air cargo was important part of their business.
“What I love about logistics is that it is a rational way of doing business. There is a logical solution to every problem you face.”
On his golf handicap he is more modest: “I am happy with it – I lack the two things to make it better – time and talent but I love it and at 62 it is a good walk.”
Jan Krems, vice president of the Americas for Air France KLM Cargo and Martinair Cargo, recalls Osinga as “arrogant” and “politically incorrect” but adds: “I worked very closely with him when he came to our cargo division from the passenger side within KLM. I think it was somewhere in 1996.
“He was very focused and a good strategic thinker.
I really enjoyed working with him – we are complimentary personalities.
“After he left KLM we stayed in touch and we have a very good relationship.”
Chris Leach, chairman of Air Charter Services, says: “I have found him good humoured and yet a hard headed Dutchman who is fearlessly outspoken and independent minded.
“He is a man I respect because he gets things done.”
Oliver Evans, chief cargo officer at Swiss International Airlines, says: “Working with him now at TIACA, where we are both board members, I can say that he is a no-nonsense, very driven servant of the industry, eager to take responsibility and bring discussions forward.”
Vladimir Zubkov vice president for relations with international organisations at the Volga Dnepr Group and TIACA board member says: “Enno knows how to make the customer satisfied. And it’s not only the high level of service he has secured at the airport – it’s a personal attitude and attention to the individual’s needs.
“As a Board member of TIACA, he has been working on the development of better business practices… in order to make it more dynamic, more relevant to the needs of its members and self sufficient.
“While being very diplomatic and patient with the views of other people he knows how to preserve the main direction of his proposal and approach. But when he feels that valuable time is wasted or fellow-members lead away from solutions he doesn’t mince words.”
